Change is in the Air
by CannS
Summary: Canon prequel to the HP books. Follow Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Severus Snape and Bellatrix Black through their Hogwarts years. How did their relationships evolve? How did they survive as a war began around them which would change their lives forever? [COMPLETE]
1. Well, well, well, what do we have here?

_© Charlotte Stevens - 14th August 2007_

_A/N: This story is dedicated to two good friends, Laura and Anais, who have always been there for me for editing and helping banish writers block - thanks heaps guys :)_

_Obviously, this story was inspired by J.K Rowling and most of the characters are hers, however as you will see I have created many of my own characters and filled in the history we didn't see in any of her books.  
_

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**PROLOGUE**_**"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"**_

Bright green eyes glistened with tears in the back seat of the car.

"Come on, Tuney." The girl pleaded with her sister. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Petunia Evans, looking nothing like her sister, hadn't spoken to Lily since it was first discovered that she was a witch and destined to go onto Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, without her. Petunia refused to step out of the car or to say goodbye. It hurt her at the thought that her sister, her best friend, was about to be taken from her and into a world where she herself, did not belong. It broke her heart and spirit, that she instantly fell into her little sisters shadow as her parents were positively excited at the thought of having a witch in the family.

"Tuney, I'll speak to Professor Dumbledore, I'll make him see it's a mistake and you're supposed to be with me. We can send for you." Lily sobbed upon deaf ears.

"Come on, honey," Mrs Evans said, opening the back door and encouraging her daughter to step out. "The train will be leaving soon."

Lily looked up at her mother and turning back to her sister, she gave her a tight hug and kissed her tear stained cheek.

"I'll write you every day." She promised before being pulled from the car.

A gangly boy with black, greasy hair, stood near by in mismatched muggle clothing, helping Mr Evans load Lily's heavy trunk onto a trolley atop his own one.

Mr Evans spoke animatedly with the boy, discussing all the elements of the Wizarding world of which he knew nothing about, but his daughter was soon to become submerged into.

"Hello, Severus." Lily said politely, dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief.

"Hi," Severus Snape responded, trying to keep a grin from spreading across his face as his cheeks went bright red, contrasting his pale complexion. "The train leaves at exactly 11 o'clock, we should probably get going." He added, glancing up at the big towering clock.

"We really shouldn't leave your sister," Mr Evans said regretfully whilst kneeling down and looking back to Petunia still sulking in the back seat. "Will you be okay with Severus?"

"Of course, Daddy." Lily forced a smile.

"Oh, I'm proud of my little girl!" He grinned, hugging his youngest.

Mrs Evans stooped down on the opposite side of her and squeezed her tightly, kissing the crown of her head.

"You're sure you've got everything you need?"

"Yes, Mum."

"And you'll write us?"

"Every day." She finished with a smile.

"Uh, Lily?" Severus interrupted as the clock ticked one minute closer to eleven o'clock.

"I've got to go," Lily said, hastily giving her parents one last kiss, before running after Severus and right through the brick barrier between platforms nine and ten.

A gust of wind swept around the corner and Lily's dark red hair whipped up into her eyes, as the pair crossed through the barrier onto platform nine and three quarters.

A long train of black and crimson was before them and families everywhere packing trunks, caged owls and other pets, onto the train before saying goodbye to one another.

It was a sight unlike no other that Lily had ever seen and the anticipation prickled within her, at the thought of being surrounded by so many people who possessed magical powers and finally having an explanation for the weird things she was able to do as a child; of having somewhere to fit in.

For the first time in his life, Severus felt important. He had always known he was a wizard, as his mother was a witch and despite his father being a muggle with no magical ability, she passed her abilities onto him. For this reason, he felt like he could fit in and guide Lily into this new environment. He was the one who told Lily that she was a witch; he was the one who escorted her on her first trip to Diagon Alley to exchange her muggle money for galleons and purchase a wand and other school requirements; and now he was the one to lead her onto platform nine and three quarters where they were soon to depart for Hogwarts. He liked this feeling of importance and even more, liked the fact that Lily hung onto his every word said about the wizarding world. He had felt an attraction to Lily the first day he laid eyes on her and at the age of nine when she leapt from a swing and literally flew around the playground before gently landing back down to on the grass, his heart leapt with joy, knowing that they shared so much more than he ever could have hoped for.

With their trunks safely stowed in the rear compartment, Lily and Severus stepped onto the train and found their way into a small compartment just as the train was about to depart. Two girls were already seated in the compartment right by the window and they giggled as the girl on the right muttered a couple of words and a beautiful blue butterfly emerged from the tip of her wand and fluttered around the cabin.

"Hi, do you mind if we join you?" Lily asked the girls shyly, gesturing to the empty seats.

"Sure, no problem." The girl who had conjured the butterflies said smiling and tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. "I'm Cherie Burke."

"Amelia Lambeth," the other girl introduced herself with a smile.

"I'm Lily Evans, and this is Severus Snape." Lily smiled and taking a seat next to Cherie she could feel Severus silently take a seat on the other side of her.

"That butterfly is gorgeous! Where'd you learn to do that?!" she couldn't help but add excitedly.

"My cousin taught me." Cherie grinned. "But, shh… under age wizards aren't supposed to do magic, though I hear they don't actually enforce that until you start at school…"

"So, of course, we're making the most of it." Amelia laughed, flicking her wand at the compartment door to close it.

"Could you teach me?" Lily asked hesitantly.

An hour later, she was elated to finally be able to send pink sparks out of the tip of her wand.

"Look Severus! I'm doing it! I'm doing it!"

The scowl that had set on his face since entering the compartment, and being overshadowed by Cherie and Amelia, soon melted from his face as he watched the sheer excitement and glee which Lily was over-flowing with.

The compartment doors could be heard sliding open and four pairs of eyes turned towards the entrance.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Another boy of their age stood in the doorway, brown soft curls atop his head. Behind him stood a second boy, wearing glasses underneath his thick dark mop of hair which was hanging down into his eyes.

"Underage magic ay?" With that, a single red rose shot out of the tip of his wand, which he passed down to Amelia as he took a seat next to her.

Cherie giggled as Amelia blushed.

"Sirius, Sirius Black." He nodded, and lounged back in the seat.

"James Potter." The other boy said, sliding the compartment door shut and taking a seat next to Sirius whilst running his eyes over Lily.

Severus scowled heavily at the two new entrants and sat in silence for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts.


	2. You disgust me

_**CHAPTER ONE: "You disgust me."**_

_ Six Year's Later _

Full of anticipation and excitement, Severus tossed and turned in his bed well into the night. Only a couple of hours and he would again see her face, her dazzling green eyes and her auburn hair reflecting the sunlight. The edges of her soft lips would curve upwards into a beautiful smile, accompanied by the sound he most loved; her laughter.

Lily Evans had been the only one to offer her friendship to Severus over the last six years at Hogwarts and he somehow managed to screw all that up with one sentence. With one word at the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts, he had lost all that he held dear to him and he would not forgive himself until he had made it up to her.

_Pure-blood supremacy silently ruled the school and most of the Wizarding world. Both power and wealth seemed to gravitate towards the purity of wizards with no muggle relatives tarnishing the blood-line. Having no traceable muggle ancestry, the Black family was known as one of the most notable wizarding families; with the family motto reading 'Toujours pur', translated from French to mean 'Always Pure', clearly illustrates the importance and power derived from this immaculate status which most of the family highly cherish._

_Sirius Black was the best friend of James Potter, another pure blood wizard from a powerful status driven family. This left the two teenage boys with almost unrivalled influence as practically no one dared stand up to this pure blood alliance._

_Therefore, it was of no surprise when these two pure-bloods took it upon themselves to target a half-blood down by the lake one afternoon for a bit of fun, that of all the people watching, no one was quick to stand up and intervene._

_James Potter had singled out Severus Snape since their first year together at Hogwarts. Severus proved to be an easy target, as he was isolated from all of the cliques at school and was often found alone, walking along the corridors between the library and his own dormitory. With the aid of an invisibility cloak, there were numerous pranks pulled on Severus over the years; one rememberable one where they tripped him up walking into the great hall at dinner one evening, causing every student to burst into an uproar of laughter as he staggered to his feet with blood streaming from his nose and tears from his eyes, he ran out to the hospital wing._

_Severus fully reflected James' feelings. But although six years of torture had taken its toll on him, this was not the main reason for the despise he felt for James; it was James' flirting with Lily. Severus had noticed it that first day on the train as James' eyes ran up and down her body, and the jealously boiled up inside of him, threatening to escape his every pore. The only refuge he had found was in the fact that Lily openly hated James who, in her words, was big-headed and immature, but regardless it felt like a dagger twisting in his heart with every glance James gave her._

_She had been his best friend, and then he had blown it all. He had gone down to the lake in search of Lily, but instead he walked into the path of the famous four first._

_James leant with his back against the trunk of a large tree and burst into laughter upon hearing a joke from Sirius who lay next to him, eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the sun radiate over his body. The third part of this inseparable group was Remus Lupin. Remus was very different when compared to rule-breakers James and Sirius; loved by the teachers he was a prefect and considered to be the mature one in the group. He sat studiously under the shade of the tree, reading through his potions text book in anticipation for his final exam whilst his friends fooled around._

_Finally, Peter Pettigrew, the most surprising member of this tight knit group of friends. It appeared that none of the other three really truly cared for Peter, but with his eager attempt and willingness to do anything to befriend the popular group they soon got used to having him around. Today was no different as he sat stoutly on the grass behind Sirius, listening intently to all that he had to say and laughing, as if on queue by James, mimicking his actions._

"_Oi, Snivellus! How come you're not off in your bat cave?" James called noting Severus' presence near by._

_Head down, Severus tried to keep walking past._

"_Tsk tsk," Sirius shook his head as he pushed himself up off of the grass. "That's hardly polite, answer him, Snivelly."_

_Severus kept continuing on his way, pretending not to hear the taunts of James and Sirius. He could see Lily now, seated at the edge of the sparkling lake with a book open in her lap. The wind gently playing with the hem of her skirt and her long silky legs stretched out under the sunrays, her toes playing in the edge of the lake's waters as she read._

"Levicorpus_!" James said flicking his wand and watching Severus fly up into the air as though an invisible giant held him by the ankle._

_Eyes wide with anger and humiliation, Severus writhed in the sky, trying to get down and reach his wand which had slipped from his pocket and landed on the ground below him._

_The crowd was already gathering around, watching as Sirius and James circled Severus, throwing taunts at him, whilst Peter had leapt to his feet and his beady eyes flitting between the three boys._

"_Ha! Snivellus!" He jumped in on the jeering._

_No one stepped forward to stop his torture. Not the prefect who was disregarding the actions of his friends and pretending to pay attention to his text book; none of his fellow members of Slytherin; no one. Severus was alone and with no ally he just hoped that James would get bored or distracted sooner rather than later, so that the ridicule would be over and he could be left alone._

"Augamenti_!" Peter called out enthusiastically, and a jet of water erupted from the tip of his wand, hitting Severus square in the face._

"_POTTER!" A shrill voice approached them as Lily pushed her way through the gathered crowd as he held his wand raised and pointed towards Severus. "What on earth do you think you're doing?! Put him down at once!"_

"Liberacorpus_." James shrugged and waved his wand, causing Severus to crash down to the ground below in a twisted tangle of robes._

"_Are you alright?" Lily asked concerned, helping a wet Severus to his feet before turning back to James. "What did he ever do to you?!"_

"_It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" James shrugged._

"_You disgust me." Lily spat, with a loathsome look in her eyes._

"_Poor ickle Snivellus can't fight his own battles, but that's okay coz little girls will stand up for him." Sirius snickered._

"_I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Severus yelled, drawing his wand on Sirius._

_The silence was deafening as Lily turned on Severus in surprise._

"_That's right, you wouldn't want anything from a Mudblood like me; would you Snivellus?!" Lily shouted the hurt evident in her voice at hearing Severus use the most derogatory term against muggle-borns possible._

_With his wand still poised at Sirius, Severus turned in shock towards Lily. He had not meant to hurt her. He had just wanted the taunting to stop. He had just wanted them to leave him alone._

"_You're just as bad as each other!" She added shifting her feisty glare from Severus to James before running up to the castle._

That was in the last week of their sixth year, and she hadn't spoken to him since. Many times Severus had tried to approach her and apologize, but with Cherie and Amelia flanking either side of her, he could never get close enough.

He had tried writing her notes during Potions when their professor wasn't looking, asking her to give him a chance to make it up to her. But Amelia would point her wand as the note flew in their direction and bursting into flames, his apology would fall to the ground as a pile of ash.

Cherie was worse. He had been waiting for Lily outside of Transfiguration, when Cherie used the leg-locker curse on him and led Lily in the opposite direction. Severus tried to follow, but not being able to move his legs he fell backwards down the stairwell causing him to spend the next two days in the hospital wing.

He had lost count of the number of times he had tried to visit her over the summer, but the door remained firmly locked for him. He had owled her a long letter of apology, but she never responded. Then scaling the trellis at the side of the house, Mrs Evans walked into Lily's bedroom with a basket of laundry and caught him trying to get in. Getting the wrong idea, she called for her husband and Severus dropped down to the ground and ran back home.

The longest summer of his life was finally over and he had a plan. No professors, no stairwells and no parents would be on the train to Hogwarts. There would be nothing to keep him from her.


	3. Do they really feed you to a dragon?

_**CHAPTER TWO: "Do they really feed you to a dragon?"**_

Lily gazed out of the window of the tiny car as it chugged its way through London towards King's Cross station. Silence had permeated the car since they loaded the boot and departed half an hour previously but they were nearly at the station now and Lily was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts where she could settle back into normality.

After a long battle the evening before, Lily's parents had finally persuaded Petunia to drop Lily off at King's Cross on her way to the opera with her pompous boyfriend Vernon Dursley.

Short and round, Vernon was in the driver's seat, weaving his way through traffic and subconsciously rubbing at the half a dozen or so hairs that had sprouted over his top lip. He seemed to think it made him look more dignified, but Lily had other ideas, finding it more to her amusement.

Petunia had never truly accepted that her sister was a witch and Lily could do nothing but watch helplessly as their childhood relationship crumbled before her, despite her persistence during her first two years at Hogwarts, writing to Petunia every day and sending her gifts.

Finally they pulled up and Vernon looked confused between the sisters, as Petunia sat with a stony look on her face.

"Thank you for the ride, Vernon." Lily said politely to him. "Good bye, Petunia. I hope you both enjoy the opera."

Vernon loaded Lily's trunk onto a trolley and thanking him again, he got back into the car and she left in the direction of platforms nine and ten, where she was due to meet up with Cherie and Amelia.

"Lily!" Amelia waved seeing her best friend approach.

"Hi honey," Lily smiled hugging Amelia. "Good to see you! Is Cherie not here yet?"

"Oh no, she's here alright." Amelia rolled her eyes and hitched her thumb over her shoulder towards the ticket booth.

All Lily could see was the broad back of a tall guy with white-blond hair stooped over with his tongue down…

"Oh…" She smiled. "Well, let's go get her then, before we miss the train."

The two girls pushed their trolleys towards their friend and Lily cleared her throat loudly.

Cherie pulled away from the boy's lips and gently pushed him away from her so she was no longer pinned against the ticket booth.

"Lily!" She exclaimed throwing her arms around her friend. "How was the drive?"

"Could have been worse." Lily shrugged, looking to the boy who she recognized to be Phoenicis Wolf-Rayat, captain of the Slytherin quidditch team.

Phoenicis was the pure depiction of an athlete. He was tall, had strong broad shoulders and if his close fitting shirt was anything to go by, abs of steel. Traditionally the students of Gryffindor and Slytherin houses did not get along, so neither Lily nor Amelia had ever really had contact with him, but Cherie was never one for conforming to traditions.

Smiling and pulling his arms around her waist, Cherie felt the need to introduce them formally. "Lily, you remember Phoenix, yea?"

"Of course. Hi." Lily said, only receiving a grunt of recognition from Phoenix.

"Phoenix," Cherie said pulling his lips back down to her level and briefly touching them to her own before gesturing to the trolley laden with hers and Amelia's trunks and smiling innocently. "Could you? Thanks."

"I didn't know you two were…"

"They weren't." Amelia cut Lily off.

"Well, not before last night when I met him at the Leaky Cauldron…" Cherie smiled mischievously as the three walked through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters where the Hogwarts Express awaited.

As Cherie and Phoenix left the small compartment looking for somewhere more private, Amelia sighed in distress and dropped the heavy textbook onto her lap.

"I still don't get it! I spent half the summer practicing, and I still suck at transfiguration! McGonagall is _so_ going to hate me!"

"You know she won't hate you." Lily said turning her attention away from the scenery going past the window as the train snaked its way through the countryside. "You're practically teachers' pet! You're allowed to be less than perfect in one class, especially when you're the practically at the top of all your other classes!"

"What about my preliminary N.E.W.T. exam last year? I mean, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of toads, but that poor thing is going to be carrying a scar for the rest of its life!" Amelia exclaimed, recalling her last transfiguration exam where, instead of turning a toad into an umbrella, she had just burnt it and caused the large handle of an umbrella to sprout from its mouth.

"You still passed though." Lily reasoned.

"Only coz, by comparison, my performance wasn't as disastrous as Franks! Filch was so angry when he had to spent the rest of the day trying to clean bits of exploded toad from every corner of the examination room!"

Lily sighed in defeat, knowing that her friend would not be able to rest until she could transfigure with ease.

"You just need to build up your confidence. Here, try starting small." She said, pulling a hair-pin from her hair. "Practice transfiguring it to a worm and back again, while I do 'the rounds'."

With that, Lily straightened her robes and pinned her head girl badge to the front of them before departing the room, leaving Amelia's brow furrowed in concentration as she pointed her wand towards the hair-pin in front of her.

Lily was pleased to see that the train was relatively incident free and there was no reason for her to play the "head girl" card and discipline anyone. The biggest problem she had to deal with was when a wide-eyed first year came up to her, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Is it true? Do they hang muggle-borns by their ankles in the dungeon to see if they're magic enough to escape? And if you don't, do they really feed you to a dragon?"

That took ten minutes of consoling followed by a good talking-to to a couple of sniggering pure-bloods.

She soon reached the front of the train and turning around, begun to make her way back to the rear of the train. Lily was wondering how much of a frenzy Amelia had managed to work herself into, when she felt someone at her elbow pull her into a side compartment.

"Scram!"

Lily was surprised to see the command coming from Severus who was glaring at the second years gathered in that compartment. Terrified, they up and left without a word.

"Severus, what on earth do you think you're doing?" Lily demanded, placing her hands on her hips and staring at him as he pulled the door closed.

"I had to see you. We have to talk." Severus said with an apologetic look in his dark eyes as he reached a hand forward and placed it on her shoulder.

"Well maybe I don't want to talk to you!" She shouted, pulling away from his touch.

"Then, please, just listen?" He tried to keep his voice from breaking under the hurt he felt from her icy demeanor. Severus took her silence as an invitation to keep going, so taking a deep breath, he proceeded to try and apologize, yet again.

"Lily, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you that day. I was an idiot and I see that now, I saw that the moment those words left my mouth. I've been trying to apologize to you ever since, but… Can't you just give me a second chance?"

Lily turned her focus back to Severus. Her eyes were glistening as she tried to hold back the tears that dared to fall.

"You called me a 'Mudblood'." She said softly. "You would not have said it, if you didn't deem yourself above me. You would not have said it, if you believed everyone is equal, regardless of their birth. Why should I give you a second chance? Why?"

"I'm sorry. You are a better witch than I could ever be a wizard. I don't know what compelled me to say it. I just wanted them to stop. I wanted him to leave me alone. I wanted him to leave you alone. I didn't mean what I said."

"A _'Mudblood'_," she repeated

"Lily, I don't know what to say…"

Severus paused and looked at her, stood before him, in all of her radiant beauty. He knew it was now or never; that the time had finally come to confess his true feelings for her.

Slowly, he drew a deep breath and braced himself for these next few words. "Lily, I'm in l…"

With a loud bang, the door swung open and an all too familiar head peered inside.

"Potter? What are you doing?" Lily asked as James stepped into the compartment.

"Just doing the rounds," he said casually, buffing the golden badge on the front of his robes.

"Head boy?!" Lily exclaimed, looking closer at the badge. "You must've just taken that from Remus. There is _no_ way you were made head boy."

"You know what they say; Dumbledore is a bit of a loon." James beamed. "It looks like you and I will have a lot of work to do with one another this year, Evans."

"Out." Severus focused a withering stare on James.

"I'm just doing my job. As head students, our first assigned task by Dumbledore was to ensure no one gets into trouble on the way to school and to check in on all the compartments."

"But not to disrupt private conversations; Get out." Severus said taking a step forward.

"No." Lily interrupted, stepping forward. "We're done here Severus. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

She squeezed herself past the two boys and out of the compartment, leaving Severus disappointed and snarling at James who felt proud of himself having irked him so.

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_A/N - Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to review and for anyone reading that hasn't reviewed, please do, not only is it great for my ego, but it'll help me improve and expand on what you do like and fix what you don't._


	4. Two wrongs don't make a right

**CHAPTER THREE:**_** "Two wrongs don't make a right."**_

With a frustrated scream, Lily threw herself down onto her four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitory.

"I can't _believe_ he's head boy! What on earth was Dumbledore thinking making Potter head boy?! What did that arrogant prick ever do to deserve it?!"

They had just made it up to their dormitory after the start of year feast where the head students and prefects were officially announced. In addition to Lily and James being chosen as head students, Amelia and Remus were made prefects, among another half a dozen students from the other three school houses.

"Those guys always get away with everything, they always have; you know that." Cherie sighed sitting in the bed opposite.

"But… Potter?! Even Reginald Peak from Hufflepuff would've been better!"

Seated on the windowsill, Amelia silently watched her friends' exchange.

"Just be thankful it's not Sirius that was made head boy." Cherie pointed out. "He thinks he's all high and mighty, but really, it just takes a look at his cousin, Bellatrix, to know the truth. She's a complete head-case, yet considered to be one of the 'normal' ones in the family! He thinks that just because the sorting hat didn't put him in Slytherin, he's different to the rest of his family, but just coz a mouldy old hat thinks you're different, doesn't mean you are."

"Too true, Potter and Sirius are always much worse when put together." Lily agreed. "I just can't get over how smug he was about it all. He thinks we'll be working together this year? As if! Dumbledore will come to his senses. Potter won't last the term as head."

"You don't know that." Amelia spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Lily turned to her.

"You don't know he won't last." She said simply. "I mean, Dumbledore must have his reasons for making James head boy."

Cherie's jaw dropped as she gaped at Amelia.

"Please tell me you're not serious? Potter is an ass!" Lily exclaimed.

"Well, maybe having some responsibility will make him act accordingly." Amelia shrugged.

"No way." Cherie protested. "Not with Sirius in tow. This is just going to be a 'get out of jail free card' for those boys."

"James has his own mind, he's not Sirius' puppet. Besides, what makes you so certain that Sirius is 'evil'?"

"Wake up and smell the roses, Mel!" Cherie said standing up. "Where have you been? It's been all over the Daily Prophet over the summer – all of those attacks on muggles, they know who did it. Cygnus Black, he is Bellatrix's dad and Sirius' uncle. He's top of the wizard's-most-wanted list! Daddy was the lead investigator in these crimes and he said they know more of the Black family is involved, they just haven't sourced the proof."

"He's innocent until proven guilty!"

"But a leopard doesn't change its spots, and his whole family has an identical coat of them!"

Amelia consciously made an attempt to not cower under her stare and stood up to face Cherie directly.

"I know how they act. I know they're immature and play cruel tricks on anyone they can. But just because his uncle is on the run from the magical law enforcement, it doesn't make Sirius a criminal. And just because James is friends with him, it doesn't mean that he is either." She said calmly, directing this last sentence at Lily. "You've got to give them a fair chance."

"You know Potter and Sirius never gave any of the people they've bullied, a fair chance!" Lily shouted.

"Two wrongs don't make a right." Amelia shrugged, reluctant to use yet another cliché.

"You're barmy, you know that? Absolutely barmy." Cherie said in disbelief. "Come on, Lily, I promised Mum I'd send her an owl to confirm I got here safely."

With that, the two girls turned on their heels and stalked from the room, leaving Amelia alone in the sudden silence.

Down in the cool, dark dungeon below the Hogwarts' lake, Severus lounged back on the green velvet cushions that lined the couch in the stone-walled Slytherin common room. The nervous chit-chat of first years' had finally ceased as everyone began moving off to bed and he could at last get some time alone with his thoughts.

He had nearly told Lily he was in love with her. That he had loved her, every moment, of every day, for the last seven years of his life. Then the bane of his existence walked in with his stupid scruffy hair and that smarmy grin. Severus didn't know whether to feel angered or relieved. If Potter hadn't interrupted, it would all be out in the open, that weight would finally be lifted off of his chest and for that he was furious. However, if she hadn't reciprocated his feelings, he didn't know what he would do.

Severus had been debating telling her the truth for so long, but it was only now that he had come so close to doing so that he saw what he should have been doing all along. What he needed was some certainty, some confidence that he wouldn't have to feel the pain of rejection. To get this, he needed to woo her with poetry and gifts. She couldn't turn him down then he convinced himself.

Producing his wand, Severus conjured a quill and length of parchment before him. He was writing so intensely that he never heard the footsteps approaching him, until he noticed a dark shadow cast over his shoulder.

Defensively spinning around, Severus shoved the parchment into the front of his robes and looked to the girl who had approached him from behind.

Bellatrix Black was standing in front of him, with her wild uncontrollable black hair sticking out at erratic angles. She silently looked at Severus without blinking, her expressionless face catching a ghostly hue from the light given off by the sole lit lamp in the room.

Several moments passed between them before a word was spoken.

"What did you get in potions last year?" Bellatrix eventually asked.

"What's it to you?"

Bellatrix's wild sinister eyes bored deep into his soul, connecting a wordless message with her gaze and sending an icy shiver up his spine.

"Outstanding. I got an outstanding in prelim N.E.W.T level potions. Why?" Severus asked, curiously.

Her dark eyes ran up and down his form, contemplating her decision.

"We need you." She finally resigned.

"You need me? Need me for what?"

A malevolent smile curled up the edge of her mouth and she slowly drew her wand.

"_Morsmordre_." She muttered in a barely audible volume.

A green haze emitted from the tip of her wand and formed the shape of a skull before a misty snake wound its way out of the skull's mouth. The image was all too familiar to Severus, as he had seen it numerous times in recent months, plastering the news headlines with each of the muggle attacks placed by the wizarding terrorist group. It was the symbol chosen by the pure-blood supremacist, Voldemort, as he rallied an army of like-minded witches and wizards.

"The Dark Lord has entrusted us to complete a task for him here at Hogwarts. But to succeed we shall first need someone adept at potion making."

"And why should I help you?" Severus asked bravely.

Bellatrix lunged forward with lightening fast reflexes and held her left hand around his neck, her long black nails digging into his skin, leaving deep imprints. With his breathing constricted, Severus found himself staring at the tip of her wand which was held in the firm grasp of her right hand.

"If you comply, we can offer you protection and power; anything that you desire. If you refrain, I will not hesitate to hex you into oblivion."

Looking cross-eyed down the length of her wand Severus could feel the intensity of Bellatrix's glare. He had always felt terror mixed with his anger with every prank James and Sirius targeted against him, but never to this extent. He always knew that he would face humiliation and pain, but that it wouldn't last and they would leave him be given time. However, this confidence was not felt facing Bellatrix, he knew that her intent and threats were true and what he felt was true terror.

Lily's smiling face kept flashing before his eyes. Severus could only begin to imagine how foolish James made him look with all of his taunting and teasing and of how that must look to Lily when he was left to silently retreat into a corner alone and friendless.

'…_we can offer you protection and power…'_ her words echoed in his mind. Severus knew that James wouldn't dare touch him in the presence of Bellatrix or anyone else within that circle of loyalty. By making a potion, he would finally have one up over James who would not be able to humiliate him, in front of Lily, again.

Severus cleared his throat and looked Bellatrix square in the eyes.

"What do you need from me?"


	5. Lead the way, Moony

**CHAPTER FOUR:**_** "Lead the way, Moony."**_

Remus gazed up nervously from his dinner towards the enchanted ceiling of the great hall which showed the outside sky changing from blue to the pink hue of a sunset as the first stars began to show.

Sirius waved a chicken drumstick in his face. "We've got heaps of time, just relax and eat will you?"

Remus gave him a half smile and continued playing with his food, jabbing at it with his fork and pushing it around his plate without ever bringing it to his mouth.

He felt sick. The same feeling of dread struck him once a month and he felt his insides churning in anticipation for the painful transformation looming ahead.

It had started when, as a child, he had gone down to a nearby park to play football. He found it fascinating how enthralling a game could be where the balls don't fly and you can't chase them on a broomstick. Every afternoon that summer, Remus could be found in this same park playing with muggle children.

_The sun beat down on the dry grass as Remus ran towards the goal._

"_I'm open! I'm open!" He shouted to Callum who was about to lose the ball to the defense team._

_Callum kicked the ball past Remus as he was toppled to the ground by two other players and Remus had to pursue the football. He was determined to get there before Sam whose entire concentration was focused on the small black and white ball rolling ahead of him._

_The score was tied, eight-to-eight, and there was only time for one more goal before they were all called home for dinner. Remus wanted to get this ball for his team more than anything and it was just out of his reach._

_Diving feet first, Remus was able to kick the ball onwards away from Sam whose foot flew forward towards where the ball had just been split seconds before hand. His boot connected painfully with Remus' shin and he tumbled forward, entangling the two in a pile on the ground._

_Remus didn't care as his shin swelled up into an ugly dark bruise; just as Sam didn't care he'd fallen into an undignified heap and grazed his elbows. Both of them were focused on the ball, waiting in anxious anticipation as the ball rolled onwards towards the goal with the rest of their teams' in pursuit._

_Remus' heart plunged as he realized his kick was off course and the ball was about to bypass the goal entirely. Then a red boot hurtled into the side of the ball sending it directly between the goalposts and past the awaiting goalie._

"_Yes! Yes!" Remus screamed, scrambling to his feet and excitedly jumping around Callum with the rest of his team. "We won!"_

_Slaps of congratulations struck Callum on the back as a huge grin spread across his face having scored the winning goal for his team. Challenges were put forward by the other team, resolving to return the following afternoon to even the scores, and then everyone began to depart on their own way home._

_Remus and Callum walked off home in the same direction talking animatedly about the game._

_For the rest of his days, Remus would wonder if any of this would have happened had he and Callum not taken that shortcut down between the bakery and the butchery on their way home._

_Their footsteps echoed on the cobble stones and bounced of the walls in the narrow enclosure. The boys had nearly emerged from the end of the alleyway when a deep rumbling growl was heard near the rear of the butchery. Hearing the pair approach, the growling creature leapt up onto a large dumpster and bared its teeth at them._

_To the boys, the creature was a large dog and if any muggles had been present, they would have testified the same. The dog had wild eyes and a vicious snap to its jaw which was stained dark with blood._

_Their voices paralyzed in fear, Remus and Callum backed up against the alley wall as the dog approached them. The dog appeared to almost rise completely on its back feet and like a bear towered over the two boys as red foamy drool formed at the edge of the dog's mouth._

_With one final lunge, the dog knocked Remus backwards and locked its jaw tightly around his arm._

_Callum screamed for help and banged against the bakers back doorway, whilst looking wildly around for something to defend himself. A neglected snow shovel was propped up by the back door and wielding it in his grasp, Callum slammed it down onto the head of the dog with all of the force he could muster._

_The dogs bite slackened and it fell back down to four paws appearing dazed. Dizzy and weak from the sudden loss of blood, Remus collapsed into a heap on the ground where all he could do was look on in a terrified state of shock as the dog turned on his best friend._

_Callum was lifting the shovel high above his head again but the dog was quicker and lunged under the boys arms, clamping its teeth firmly into the soft skin of his neck, tearing it apart._

_The last thing that Remus saw before passing out a blast of white light as the back door of the bakery flew open._

Remus had been saved by the baker, Marjorie Finn. Hearing Callum's shouts, she had run down the stairs and to the back door in time to save Remus from a second attack, but not before Callum's own body was mutilated beyond recognition. She had cast a series of curses causing the dog to flee from the alleyway and disappear before she took Remus inside and called for a healer to tend to his gaping wound.

A part of Remus wished she hadn't saved him at all, for when he regained consciousness, two days later in St Mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injuries, he would soon be told the full story.

That the dog was no dog at all, it was the werewolf Fenrir Greyback – a wizard who voluntarily takes the form of a werewolf to attack and devour human flesh. In biting Remus, Greyback infected him with the incurable condition of lycanthropy, meaning that he would be doomed to live his life out as a werewolf; the horrible transformation being forced upon him with the rise of every full moon.

Eventually, the Hogwarts' evening meal was over and the four boys retreated upstairs to get ready for the long night ahead.

As Remus stood at the window anxiously looking from his watch to where the sun was just dipping below the horizon, James leaned into the trunk at the foot of his large four-poster bed and felt for the folds of his invisibility cloak.

"Sirius, catch!" James called lobbing the cloak over towards the doorway where it landed over his best friend's head causing him to disappear instantly.

A moment later, a loud squeal came from Peter on the other side of the room and he stumbled forwards. Sirius revealed his head in an opening in the cloak directly behind him.

"Hurry up Wormtail, we've got to get going," Sirius laughed, addressing his friend by his nickname whilst fastening the invisibility cloak around his shoulders.

With a deep sigh, Peter drew his wand and pointed it at himself. After a brief moment, a few sparks flew from the tip of his wand and singed his eyebrows.

"No, concentrate." James said sternly. "Come on, you've done this before. Concentrate."

Screwing up his eyes, Peter tried again. Slowly the other three finally began to see Peter's nose elongating and a coat of fur beginning to cover his face and body as he became smaller and smaller until he was finally in his animagi state of a rat.

In order to keep Remus company in his werewolf state and not be susceptible to attack, James, Sirius and Peter had learnt to transform into animals by undergoing illegal animagi transformations. James took the form of a stag and therefore acquired the name 'Prongs', and in his animagi state Sirius became 'Padfoot', a large black dog. Between the two large animagi, James and Sirius were strong enough to control Remus in his werewolf form, to prevent him from harming himself or indeed breaking free to harm others.

This magic they demonstrated was highly complicated and only a handful of living wizards and witches were known to be able to undertake this level of transfiguration. James and Sirius being top students were well up to the challenge, but Peter had always taken a lot of help and guidance and always struggled to take the form of his animagi.

"Finally," Sirius sighed, picking up Peter by the tail and dropping him into his pocket and pulling the hood of the cloak back over his head, fully concealing himself. "Lead the way, Moony." He added, speaking to Remus.

Professor Dumbledore gave permission for Remus to depart the school grounds on the night of each full moon, to retreat to an isolated location where he could not pose harm to the students of Hogwarts. Being head boy and James was able to be seen in the corridors late at night, but Sirius and Peter had no cause to be out of the dormitory at this late hour so had to be kept well hidden.

Only minutes later, the four were standing outside facing the large tree known as the Whomping Willow. The enchanted tree had been planted to conceal the secret passage way that lead to a deserted house in Hogsmeade that the locals had dubbed 'the shrieking shack' as they believed it to be haunted, in truth however, the horrific noises they heard were all down to Remus' painful transformations.

Kneeling down, Sirius placed Peter on the ground and gave him a nudge towards the tree. Peter's rat form ran forward and the tree instantly began to sway, swinging its large branches down trying to find the intruder that it sensed within its perimeter. Randomly, the branches began slamming down to the ground forcing deep gouges into the grass. Peter zigzagged his way right up until he was at the tree's trunk. Scurrying up his paws scratched at a little knob in the side of the tree causing the branches of the tree to instantly freeze in place. Quickly the three boys ran forward and followed the rat into a hole within the roots of the tree.

The group had not long been in the shrieking shack when the moon began to climb in the sky. Instantaneously James and Sirius changed into animagus form and helplessly waited as Remus began his werewolf's transformation.

Yelling out in pain, Remus balled his fists tightly and held his stomach as he doubled over, collapsing to his knees. Coarse fur sprouted on the backs of his hands and his fingers slowly uncoiled as his hands took the shape of a paw.

His face pushed out into a snout and he could feel his bones changing, molding into the dog-like shape. The excruciating moans soon lost their human aspect and became an animal's yelps, followed by a snarling growl once the transformation was complete.

Standing up to the window, Remus threw his head back and howled to the moon for a long minute before turning to feed. With Peter cowered in a corner, hiding under a dresser; James and Sirius were near by and ready to protect Remus from himself and keep him contained within the deserted house.


	6. Damn rock cakes

**CHAPTER FIVE: **_**"Damn rock cakes"**_

"Remind me again, why you're dragging me out here?" Cherie complained as she crossed the main foyer that Saturday morning.

"Because, as house prefects, Mel and I should be at the quidditch trials," Lily reaffirmed. "Besides, as you said yourself, you have nothing better to do."

"Only coz Phoenix will be sleeping 'til lunchtime, like every other normal person does in the weekend." Cherie mumbled to herself, popping a handful of dry cereal into her mouth from the bowl she'd swiped from the dining room as the house-elves were clearing breakfast away.

Lily shielded her eyes from the early morning glare and took a large bite of an apple. "Well, it's going to be a good day for it at least."

Trailing along behind her friends, Amelia had her head bowed. Lily was never one to hold a grudge, but all week, Cherie had barely spoken to Amelia, and the few words she had said were in the form of a sniping comment.

Cherie refused to forgive her until she conceded that James and Sirius were not in the slightest bit innocent and therefore, should not be given the benefit of the doubt. Amelia hated getting the cold shoulder, but felt powerless to stop her as all her apologies were deemed to feeble by Cherie who valued loyalty above all else, and was not convinced at her sincerity. When Cherie got an idea in her head, it took a lot for it to shift. So to avoid conflict as much as possible, Amelia hung back and avoided all confrontation.

Each blade of grass was weighed down with glistening dew as the sun reflected back up off of it. A path was clearly carved through the grass, trampled by the dozens of other students moving down to the quidditch pitch at the edge of the large field.

Already figures were dotting the space above the goals; students, darting around between the posts and soaring through the sky. Officially they were warming up, unofficially, the girls detected a lot of showing off as somersaults and acrobatics were performed high above the stands.

There was a loud rustling at the edge of the forest, causing the girls to turn and face towards it. A large man with a shaggy appearance and woolen beard emerged from the trees ahead of them.

"Girls!" Hagrid called, waving to them with his oversized hand. "Come an' take a look at wha' I got 'ere!"

"Big Oaf." Already in a bad mood, Cherie scowled as the trio crossed the grass to the beaming grounds keeper.

"What've you got?" Lily enquired as they drew closer.

"'ave a look." The giant stooped over, lifting a small creature from the crook of his arm.

"What… What _is_ that?!"

"It's a radafemia, right?" Amelia answered Lily and looked to Hagrid for confirmation as he handed the fragile lump down to her.

Wispy, transparent fairy-like wings adorned the fluffy blue body with large globe eyes stared un-blinkingly up at Amelia. She scrunched up her nose, squeezing her eyes closed and the radafemia mimicked her, causing the girl to giggle.

"Tha's righ'," Hagrid smiled. "I think she likes you."

"Eww, it's all gross." Cherie screwed up her nose in a completely different manner. "It's all slimy."

"I found her back there in the clearing. 'er mother was trampled in the fores', yeh see? So I'm takin' 'er in."

"Aww, the poor thing," Amelia gushed, babying it. "What's her name?"

"I was thinkin' o' maybe Zell or Ravaaga…"

"Zell." Amelia nodded her head decisively.

"Sorry Hagrid, but we should really get going. We're off to watch the quidditch trials and scope the new talent Gryffindor has to offer." Lily said, as Amelia passed the radafemia back to Hagrid.

"Alrigh', but you girls should come and visit me an' Zell one day soon before you get too busy with yeh studies, okay?"

"Sure thing," Amelia smiled.

"Bye, Hagrid," Lily waved as the girls turned back to the quidditch pitch.

It wasn't until they were out of ear-shot that Cherie spoke up again.

"He'll make those damn rock cakes and try to break our teeth again you know…"

High above the quidditch pitch, at the top of the surrounding stands, were gathered a group of Gryffindors; James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, along with half a dozen 6th year girls, sat shyly in the corner, stealing looks towards James and Sirius, and giggling.

Although he played the position of chaser and seeker interchangeably, James always enjoyed playing with the iconic snitch. Its fluttery wings and shiny gold drew greater attention than a static quaffle.

Basking in the attention, James was tossing a snitch high in the air and juggling it between his hands, when Sirius stepped in and plucked the tiny ball from the air.

"He's such a show off." Sirius said to the group of girls.

"What? You mean, unlike you?" Remus commented sarcastically from the corner of the stand, not lifting his eyes from his book.

"Don't you know it." Sirius flashed a dazzling smile and took a seat, lounging back between two girls.

Lily and Cherie appeared at the top of the stairwell and found two seats near the front of the stands.

"Wake me when it's over." Cherie yawned, leaning back to sun-bathe.

Following, Amelia took a seat further down the bench, nearer to Remus.

"Mel, hey," Remus smiled warmly, putting his book aside.

James tugged his quidditch gloves on and looked up, a sparkle in his eye as he gestured towards his broom.

"Evans, want a ride?"

"Oh yea, in your dreams, Potter."

"Every night," he winked. "So, are you coming for a spin?"

Lily's jaw dropped at his cockiness. He held such a high opinion of himself, that was incomparable to anyone else she had ever met, and where many girls would swoon over James Potter, she couldn't think of anyone more conceited.

"I won't be ever getting on there with you."

"Your loss," James shrugged nonchalantly. "Matilda?"

A large smile spread across the face of the 6th year, as she flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder and climbed over the seat in front of her to reach him.

As the pair flew off around the quidditch pitch, Lily turned to Sirius.

"Why, is your friend such a prat?"

"Is he really though?" Sirius asked rhetorically. "Are you sure you don't secretly enjoy his attention?"

"You have to be kidding me!" She exclaimed in shock.

Sirius shrugged.

"You're an idiot! A complete and utter idiot!" Lily snapped at his arrogance.

"Hey!" One of the girls sitting next to Sirius stepped up to defend him. "You can't talk to him that way!"

"Defending a guy, who'll probably forget your name by tomorrow; how pathetic can you get?" Cherie muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?!" the girl turned on her, drawing her wand.

Cherie flicked her wand, and a bucket instantaneously materialized over the girls' head. With a final swish, the bucked flopped upside down and poured a bucket of cold water over her head.

Gasping, the girls' eyes went wide. Her friends were instantly at her side, fussing over her and casting evil glares at Cherie.

A smile curved up at the edge of Sirius' lips as the girl's wet blouse clung to her feminine form and she desperately wrung the water from her short skirt.

"You bitch!" She screamed at Cherie, pushing her wet fringe out of her eyes before storming out with her friends in tow.

"Finally, no more giggling," Cherie sighed contently as she lay back in the sun again.

Immediate silence fell among the stands, as no one quite knew how to react to recent events. Peter was still gaping open-mouthed at the void, where there had just been the vivid outline of breasts through wet fabric. Amelia couldn't quite get her head around what Cherie had just done, and Lily was trying to fight a smile. Sirius seemed torn between laughing at the drowned-rat look of the girl, and snapping at Cherie because his 'fan-base' had just left.

"So," Remus cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Mel, have you done your Herbology assignment yet? I'm having trouble with section…"

The rest of his words were drowned out by the delighted squeal that sounded as a broom flew past them. Coming to a sudden halt, James held the broom still at the edge of the stands to let Matilda off.

"Thanks."

"No problem." James grinned as Matilda kissed his cheek. "Anyway, 8am, time to get this thing started."

He flew in a backwards somersault before shooting down to the turf below, calling all the trialing students to follow him.

"What a show off." Lily rolled her eyes.

The group had been watching the trials as students did laps of the field in time tests, and various team combinations were trialed, for nearly an hour when a large tawny owl silently glided up to the teenagers. Mail by owl post was usually delivered over breakfast, and confusion set into the group at this odd occurrence.

"Is anyone expecting anything?" Peter asked with his brow furrowed.

Everyone shook their head, as he approached the owl and removed the small powder blue envelope from its leg.

"Uh, Lily, it's for you."

Completely puzzled, Lily silently accepted the envelope from Peter. She analyzed the envelope, but it was blank except for the non-distinct, slanted handwriting which spelt out her name.

The owl hopped across the bench and helped itself to the last of the cereal left in Cherie's bowl as everyone else awaited Lily to open the envelope and tell them what was inside; this new entertainment being much better than the trials.

"What is it Lil'?" Cherie asked.

"Probably a love letter," Peter sniggered.

"Lily?" Amelia prompted a moment later, after she had finished reading, yet remained quiet and still.

"Later Mel," Lily carefully refolded the parchment and pushed it into her pockets. As her eyes turned back to the pitch, it was obvious she was completely lost in thought and not paying the slightest attention.

Cherie and Amelia had spent the entire day, wondering what was written on that letter which arrived for Lily that morning. But within about half an hour of its arrival, she was acting as though nothing had ever happened. Throughout the day, the girls had both respected her privacy, but by nightfall, the curiosity was burning away within them.

"Okay, Lily? What was that letter about?" Finally, Cherie asked the question that had been on both hers and Amelia's minds.

Taking a deep sigh, she pulled the parchment out of her pocket and turned it over in her hands a couple of times before passing it to Cherie.

Amelia looked over her shoulder, as Cherie opened the letter and began to read.

_My dearest Lily,_

_Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;_

_And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind._

_Of all of the wizard poets over the centuries, none captured the way I feel better than the muggle Shakespeare._

_I have loved you longer than you know. I have loved you since the day… since the moment I first laid eyes on you._

_I have loved you from a distance. Though we may be physically close, the veil I must hold between us makes it seem so much further._

_If I reach out my hand from where I sit writing this, I could almost touch you. Touching you is such a dream._

_Every day I dream of holding you, of running my hands across your silky skin. But it remains a dream._

_I am who I am. I am all I can be and because of that, you do not see me in the way that I look at you._

_I only hope that one day you will be able to look with the mind, not with the eyes. Look past what you see everyday, look past who everyone thinks I am and see the real me. The me that cannot stand the pain of being apart from you, the me that will love you with all of my being, until the day I pass._

See_ me._

At the same moment that tears welled in Amelia's eyes and she looked at Lily in awe, Cherie began talking.

"Who do you think it's from? Do you think it's genuine? Wait, of course it is, no one quotes Shakespeare for a joke. Wow, so, a secret admirer ay? Who do you think it's from?"

"Well, what about Rodger Preston? Maybe he wants to get back together with you?" Amelia ventured.

"His entire intellect would fit on the head of a pin. There's no way he'd be able to quote Shakespeare." Cherie retorted with a snap, to show she'd still not forgiven Amelia. "What about Jake Mackenzie? He's always making eyes at you in Potions…"

"And Slughorn caught him cheating off of my work," Lily sighed as she flopped down over her bed. "So there's no mystery as to what his motives were, and they weren't exactly romantic."

The next hour was spent speculating as to who the mysterious letter had come from before, with a yawn they conceded that it was long past their bedtime. Amelia and Cherie soon slipped off into a deep sleep, however, Lily stayed awake long after, reading and re-reading the letter by wand light.

* * *

_**A/N**__ – First off, I owe a huge thank you to the amazingly wonderful_Brianna London_ for writing the love letter above. If you're wasting your time checking out my stuff, you should seriously check out hers, (if you haven't deleted yet another story from the net, Bri!) her writing has always been an inspiration to me._

_Secondly, I half expect everyone reading this to have a go at me because "James is a seeker…" – JKR has always maintained that James was a_chaser_. I believe it was in the first movie it mistakenly stated that he was a seeker. In my opinion, the books are better than the movies – hence why I've taken that train of thought… not that it makes any difference to plot-lines which position he played!_

_Also, I have just discovered, that transferring my story to the site has been deleting the separation break I had between different scenes – so I'm sorry for any confusion when two very different scenes are run together. I hope to remember to add the breaks in manually from now on._

_Finally, my apologies go out to anyone who has been waiting for this chapter – but my university finals had to take priority over fan-fiction I'm afraid. If I can stimulate my creativity and banish this current case of writers block, hopefully I can update more frequently over the summer._

_Thanks for reading, and please review – it'll make my day :)_

_ Charlotte_


	7. What in the name of Merlin are you up to

**CHAPTER SIX:**_** "What in the name of Merlin are you up to?"**_

"So…" Lily said trying to fill in the silence at the breakfast table.

She still felt torn between her two best friends, as silence continued to prevail between them since their fight on their first night back at Hogwarts. For Lily, this silence was torturous, but her friends could both be so stubborn she knew that she would have to wait out the storm.

"Who do you think is going to win next week's Quidditch match, Mel?" Lily vainly tried to stir some conversation.

"I don't know." She replied softly. "Slytherin would be the obvious choice, as they win most of their games; but I was talking to Maya Quinn yesterday and it sounds like Hufflepuff have really been training hard and are flying well this season, so it could go either way."

On Lily's opposite side, Cherie scoffed and nearly choked on her French toast.

"Hufflepuff? Beat Slytherin? Oh yea, that'll be the day! You know they don't have a hope in hell, especially with Phoenix as captain. You don't have to look for the good in everyone, Mel!"

Silently, Amelia turned her concentration back to her coffee and sipped at it timidly.

Lily looked between the two girls despairingly and wondered how much more fighting she would have to endure before they made up.

A bell resonated throughout the great hall and students everywhere gathered their things together and began heading out of the gaping doors. Lily, Cherie and Amelia all had to be down in the dungeon for their potions class with Professor Slughorn in a matter of minutes, so quickly finishing their breakfast they rose from their seats and began to follow the crowd of students out of the room.

"Miss Evans!" A tiny shrill voice sounded behind her.

Hearing her name called, Lily turned and saw a little hand, waving above the heads of the other students. Eventually a panting Professor Flitwick reached her side.

"Oh, I am pleased to have caught you, Miss Evans." Flitwick said his rosy cheeks barely visible behind a thick moustache. "Could I please speak to you for a moment?"

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." Lily said to her friends before allowing herself to be lead away by her Charms professor.

Amelia and Cherie shot side-long glances at one another but remained where they stood. Reluctant to proceed down to the dungeons without Lily there to mediate between them, they both silently agreed it would be best to wait until she was done.

* * *

He could feel her cold dark stare upon him and he waited uncomfortably, pretending to listen to the professor's drones. He would have his opportunity soon, but first he would have to wait; she would have to wait.

Bellatrix drummed her long black nails against the desk and refused to lift her stare from Severus' back. She needed a polyjuice potion, however her skills lay in Defence Against the Dark Arts and not intricate potion making. Severus not only had the skills, but he was one of the few students entrusted with access the professor's locked closet where vital restricted ingredients were stored.

"Has anyone seen Miss Evans? Miss Lambeth? Miss Burke?" Professor Slughorn suddenly looked around and questioned his class. "What about Mr. Potter, Mr. Black or Mr. Pettigrew?"

Severus let his eyes move to the empty seat next to him and felt a deep longing for Lily's presence. Since their first year, Amelia and Cherie had sat in front of him with Lily taking the vacant seat to his right.

Over the years, a friendly competitive streak had sparked between them, individually competing against one another to produce the best potion then later, working together modifying the basic instructions to improve the results of standard potions, by simply changing the direction of stirring or the order of adding ingredients. They worked so well together as a team, almost as though they were two halves to the same whole. Their competitive rivalry urged the two of them onwards and upwards to the top of the class, practically sailing through their examinations.

"Mr. Lupin, please go and fetch the rest of your classmates, I will not teach this technique twice." Slughorn said to Remus who was sitting at the front of the room, back straight and his books stacked studiously in front of him.

"Yes Sir." Remus nodded, before leaving the room.

"Class, please turn to page 482 of your textbooks and begin to read. You will be producing a sleeping draught in pairs this week, starting with preparation today. Pay special attention to section three, we do not want anyone turning out like 'Sleeping Beauty' because you can't follow simple instructions. Mr. Snape," Slughorn stopped Severus as he reached for the book in front of him. "Please, come with me."

His chair scraped back on the floorboards as he stood up and Severus caught a glimpse Bellatrix out of the corner of his eye as he passed her. Her eyes trained on him, she subtly moved her head in a slight nod.

He took a deep gulp and looked to the plump professor in front of him as Slughorn reached into his pocket and pulled out a large silver key. Slipping it into the lock in the large wooden door he turned they key and the heavy door swung back on its hinges revealing a large walk-in closet, lined with several jars and boxes on the shelves.

"Here," Slughorn said passing a piece of parchment. "Could you please put together ten kits containing each of these ingredients?

"Yes Sir." Severus took the parchment from him and began scouring the shelves for the first required ingredient.

Finally the professor departed the room and pulled the door closed behind him, leaving Severus alone. Flicking his long black hair from his eyes, he retrieved a second list from his pocket.

"Powdered horn of a Bicorn… Shredded skin of a Boomslang…" Severus muttered quietly to himself, reading from the note he had scribbled down in the restricted section of the library earlier that week.

Scanning the walls he soon found the jar he needed. Unscrewing the lid, Severus shook a few white granules of bicorn horn into a small container and tightly sealed it before depositing it in his pocket hastily and looking for his next required ingredient.

Barely paying attention, he simultaneously pulled down the ingredients from Slughorn's list and started stacking them onto a tray.

"Boomslang, boomslang," he mused as he retrieved sopophorous beans and added them to the pile. "It must be here."

Desperately, Severus opened up the stepstool and stealing a glance over his shoulder, he climbed it to see the higher shelves better. He knew he only had mere moments to locate the vital ingredient before Slughorn would be back. Lifting and replacing jar after jar, bottle after bottle, he froze upon hearing the turning of the door handle.

The professor was partway through the now ajar door when he paused.

"Yes, Mr. Fliggenhomm? What is it this time?" Slughorn said, sighing heavily and leaving to attend to his student.

Instantly turning back to the bottles lining the shelves, Severus resumed rummaging through the miscellaneous ingredients. Finally, he spotted what he had been seeking. Clouded and with a thick layer of dust, he could barely make out the label, _'Boomslang skin'_, but as he unscrewed the jar, there was no mistaken it as he was greeted by the wafting of a musty odor omitting from the dried reptilian scales.

Severus dug his long fingers into the jar and withdrew one of the slices, twisting the lid back on and stowing the skin into his pocket just as Professor Slughorn returned.

"That boy, I don't know what I shall do with him." He fretted coming into the room. "Are you done there, Mr. Snape?"

"Yes, Sir." Severus said, climbing back down the stool and picking up the tray laden with ingredients.

"Come then." Slughorn pronounced, withdrawing the large silver key so he could once again lock the restricted closet.

Returning to his seat, Severus discretely returned a nod to Bellatrix and slipped in front of his desk. His entire body was clammy with sweat and nerves and it took all of his self control to keep from shaking for the remainder of the class. He had just betrayed the trust his professor had in him to help Bellatrix and now there was no going back.

* * *

The great hall was empty by the time Professor Flitwick had finished speaking to Lily and she rushed back over to her friends examining her watch.

"We're late for Slughorn's class." Lily panicked as she reached them.

"I've never really cared much for potions anyway." Cherie shrugged, casually following behind. "And Slughorn loves you, so he's not exactly going to throw you in detention."

"I still have a reputation to uphold." Lily reminded her and quickening her pace she crashed head-long into a first year student.

The small boy had a flushed red face and had been staggering beneath the weight of several textbooks with a large cauldron balanced on the top, all of which were now scattered everywhere. Amelia helped the boy collect the books up as Cherie leant against the wall and examined her fingernails and Lily went down the hallway to retrieve the cauldron which had rolled further down the corridor.

"I'm so sorry…" Lily began to apologize when she pulled the cauldron back to her for a closer look. "Is this copper? First years' are only allowed to use pewter cauldrons… _and_ this has got to be bigger than the standard size two which first years' are to use. Whose cauldron is this?"

"He told me to carry it for him, Miss."

"Who did?"

"The head boy."

Lily rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'll give him his stuff." Lily promised, relieving the boy of the strain of the heavy textbooks and reading the name printed in the front cover to confirm. "_'James Potter.' _Now, you should get to your own class, but first, do you know where James is?"

"He said they were hungry. They must've missed breakfast, you see?"

"Kitchen." Lily said simply, grabbing onto Cherie's arm, pulling her away from the wall and gesturing to Amelia. "Come on, detour."

"But what about Slugh…" Amelia was cut off as Cherie elbowed her sharply.

After a few bends down empty corridors, the three girls were left facing an oil painting of a bowl of fruit.

"What now?" Cherie complained.

"We wait." Lily said adamantly.

"Boring," Cherie sighed. "So, tell us, what did Flitwick want?"

"Oh, he wants me to help tutor some of his 5th years' for their O.W.L.S." Lily answered. "By the way, before I forget, you offered to help too, Mel."

"Excuse me? I did what now?" Amelia asked, taken aback.

"Come on, it'll be boring doing it alone. Please?"

"You could have at least asked first." Amelia sulked, crossing her arms.

"Thank you." Lily grinned gratefully, before turning to a noise coming up the corridor.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in class?" Remus asked approaching the girls.

"I could ask you the same thing." Cherie commented, looking to him confused.

"Slughorn sent me down to get James, Sirius and Peter." Remus answered as the portrait swung away from the wall revealing a hole and the three boys all stepped out into the corridor.

After being momentarily stunned to see a welcoming committee waiting for them in the hallway, James soon found his voice.

"Wan' one?" He asked through a mouthful of doughnut as he offered one to Lily from his outstretched hand.

"What on earth do you think you're doing, Potter? What gave you the stupid idea to abuse your power as head boy, just to get junior students to act as your slaves?!" Lily shrieked throwing his books and cauldron at him.

"'Ow 'bout you?" James extended the doughnuts in the direction of Cherie and Amelia.

"I'm not kidding here, Potter!" Lily drew her wand and held it mere inches from his face.

"Woah," Sirius said, handing his toast to Peter and stepping up to Lily. "In all fairness, the kid could've said 'No'."

"Jerk." Cherie mumbled under her breath.

"Uh, excuse me?" Sirius asked turning to Cherie.

"You heard me." Cherie moved forward until she was touching toe-to-toe in Sirius and she looked him right in the eye. "I said, you, are, a, jerk."

"Well, I guess that's better than being a slut." Sirius retorted looking down to the miniskirt she was wearing to emphasize his point.

"Don't you dare insult her! " Amelia shouted defensively as she stepped forward between Sirius and Cherie.

Chaos broke loose and curses and hexes were flying in every which direction when Professor McGonagall, their transfiguration teacher and head of house approached.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Her clear voice resonated off the stone walls of the corridor and each of the student's wands flew from their hands and landed in a pile at her feet. "What in the name of Merlin are you up to?"

Taken aback, McGonagall looked to the scene in front of her. Lily and James were fuming at one another and they both still had their hands poised, ready to cast a curse at one another. Remus had been trying to release a jam-covered Peter from the body-bind curse, which Amelia had cast on him when he made an attempt to protect James from Lily's wrath. Meanwhile, Sirius still had his jaw dropped in surprise from when Cherie cast her wand aside and slapped him instead, leaving a red hand-print on his cheek.

"Follow me." McGonagall said sternly, spinning on the spot and abruptly walking off down the corridor.

Cherie weaved her way up and slipped her arm through Amelia's. "Thanks." She whispered, giving her an apologetic smile.

* * *

"Naturally, I would have expected better of my head students, not to mention two prefects and three other seventh year students who should be presenting themselves as good role models." Dumbledore lectured ten minutes later up in his office. "Skipping class and dueling in the corridor is not what I would define as being ideal actions. Explain yourselves. Miss Evans?"

"Well, we went to go and look for James, Sir. We believe he had been abusing his authority as head boy, making junior students act as his slaves. Things just got out of hand." She added ashamed to be caught in the wrong.

"Mr Potter, what is your take on the incident?" Dumbledore asked.

"After being so engrossed in studying last night we lost track of time and ended up sleeping in this morning. So, we missed breakfast and went to the kitchens to ask the house elves for something to eat. Breakfast is, after all, the most important meal of the day."

"What about your alleged abuse of authority?"

"The boy offered to carry some of my stuff to my first class." James shrugged.

"Miss Lambeth?" Dumbledore addressed Amelia. "How do you view this morning's incidents? How do you explain your involvement?"

Amelia blanched and her bottom lip began to quiver under the attention. "I-I…"

"We are sorry, alright?" Cherie interrupted, taking the spotlight off of Amelia. "Now, are we in trouble? Or can we get back to class?"

Dumbledore looked to her amused.

"Very well, Miss Burke, point taken. I do not see why you should miss two classes in a row." He finally conceded. "Now, for me to decide your punishments; with such a breech of my confidence in you, I should strip you from your roles of head students and prefects for a start."

Lily's face fell at the thought of losing this honorable role because of James.

"I will not do that however, but you should count this as your first and last warning." Dumbledore stated. "I will allocate each of you with ongoing detentions, which will only cease when I feel that you have regained my trust. You may all report to Professor McGonagall's office at 9 am tomorrow to be allocated your first detention."

"But sir," James intervened. "I've got quidditch practice tomorrow, as Gryffindor's team captain I need to be there."

Dumbledore narrowed his gaze over the top of his spectacles. "Do not push your luck, Mr. Potter. You are all dismissed." He added, flicking his wand towards the doorway which opened upon command inviting them all to leave.

* * *

A/N: I hope you've enjoyed my latest chapter... I'm stuck in a real rut of writers block at the moment though - so any comments/suggestions you could give me would be much appreciated as it may help spark off another couple of chapters worth of inspiration.

Love, Charlotte


	8. Getting Cozy in the Astronomy Tower

**CHAPTER SEVEN: **_**Getting Cozy in the Astronomy Tower**_

It had just struck 11pm and the Gryffindor common room was empty save for the seven senior students quietly inhabiting the large room catching up on their missed Potions work from that morning.

"Excuse me, Amelia? We've got to go." Remus approached her tentatively.

"Okay." She sighed, getting to her feet and saying goodnight to Lily and Cherie.

Normally quiet and shy, Amelia and Remus surprisingly seemed to connect on a different level whenever together, sparking off of one another and show another side to each other. Their sibling-like friendship had been like this since their O.W.L. year at Hogwarts, where the two constantly gravitated towards their favorite study table in the library. They had bonded over their textbooks and over the course of the year began to realize how much they had in common. It was for that reason that they both blossomed when together and not overshadowed by their more popular, out-spoken friends.

"So, are we placing bets on what we come across this evening?" Remus said with a twinkle in his eyes as he stepped out of the portrait hole into the 7th floor corridor.

Amelia grinned in response. "I bet you a chocolate frog we come across Lucinda Periwinkle with Keith McBreen fooling around in the astronomy tower." All duty prefects this week had reported finding the two 6th year students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, in some compromising position during their nightly patrol between 11pm and midnight.

"You're on. My senses tell me they'll be in the alcove by the main foyer tonight."

Amelia snorted. "Your 'senses'? What 'senses' do you have?"

"I will have you know, I am very skilled in the art that is divination! Why, just yesterday I predicted that I would wake up and have eggs for breakfast, and you know what? I did!" He nodded affirmatively, trying to maintain his serious composure.

"Oh yea, you're such a clairvoyant." Amelia rolled her eyes. "So, what do you see in my future, Remus?"

He closed his eyes and faked a look of concentration. "I see you losing a bet and having to give a handsome, intelligent young man a chocolate frog…"

Amelia jabbed him in the ribs. "You watch it, or your ego will be bigger than James!"

Remus let his jaw drop in mock-shock. "Oh, you did not just say that!"

"Yea, I did." Amelia smiled cheekily. "_Engorgio head_!"

Skipping off ahead of him down the corridor, Amelia giggled as Remus' head swelled comically to twice its normal size.

"Hey!" Remus protested. "That's hardly fair!"

"But now your head now matches your ego! Besides, it's funny."

"Yes, very funny. _Reducio head_." Remus said, training his wand towards his head, causing it to resume to its normal size.

By now, the prefects had patrolled the entire 7th floor and were making their way down a tight winding staircase to the 6th floor. Suddenly a ghostly apparition swooped down over them, pelting the pair with teaspoons.

"Ow!" Amelia shrieked and ducked, holding her hands over her head.

"Peeves!" Remus scolded the poltergeist. "You just wait until the Bloody Baron hears about this."

"Ooo! I'm so scared!" Peeves said swooping down onto Remus, diving right through his stomach, leaving Remus with an icy feeling penetrating his core.

"Peeves, return those spoons to the kitchens immediately."

"And who are you to tell me what to do? You're no angel. You're the one who got detention this morning." He baited, throwing the remaining teaspoons at the prefects and flying off into the distance cackling.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked, pulling Amelia back up.

"Yea, he got me here," She said, indicating just below her eye, "but I'm okay. The day he learns to behave, I'll be happy."

"And pigs will fly." Remus laughed, stooping to gather up the teaspoons littering the stairwell. "I just wish he'd taken these back though, would save us a job."

"Well, you know, he's probably got a point." Amelia pondered.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, we're prefects, who just got detention. It's not exactly enough to illustrate us as good role models. How are we going to get any students to listen to us now?" Amelia sighed. "We very nearly got our badges removed, and it's all because of James!"

"Hey, no, that's not fair." Remus protested. "You didn't have to go down there. He didn't make you."

"Yes I did, I had to go with Lily." She justified.

"So, it's Lily's fault." Remus reasoned.

"No, it's James' fault. If he wasn't off being such an ass, she wouldn't have needed to seek him out." Amelia bristled. "I don't know why you're friends with him anyway."

"It was of your own choice that you followed Lily down to the kitchens. Just as it is my own choice to count James as one of my best friends; and he is the most loyal of friends I could ever ask for."

"Remus, just like me, you've wanted to be prefect since you started here, you told me that. Yet James comes along and nearly costs you your badge because he's being purely foolish? How is that loyalty? Is loyalty not being there for your friends' needs?"

Remus spoke very clearly, with full certainty. "James, Sirius and Peter have shown me a level of loyalty in our friendship beyond all others. A level of loyalty, beyond which, you will probably never be able to comprehend."

"I…" Amelia went to apologize for her abruptness, seeing the look of hurt cross Remus' face. She nervously bit down on her bottom lip and looked at Remus, hoping he would not hold her comment against her.

Once again out of nowhere, the transparent form of Peeves swooped down over the prefects.

"6th year's getting cozy in the astronomy tower!" He crowed before dissolving into the wall opposite.

"It looks like I owe you a chocolate frog." A smile broke out over Remus' face as he casually threw his arm around Amelia's shoulders. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and let him lead her towards the tower to break up the fraternizing couple.

* * *

An hour later, the Gryffindor tower was down to one lone occupant, slouched silently into a chair in front of the dwindling fireplace. The glowing embers lit up his face as he stared back at them in a trance, enjoying the peace and quiet since his two friends left to shower.

At that moment, Remus and Amelia returned to the Gryffindor common room, oblivious to the boy sat in the corner.

"Oh, she did NOT say that!" Amelia exclaimed laughing, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I'm telling you, she did!" He laughed.

"Oh, that is classic!" She tried to regain composure, dabbing at her tears with a tissue and catching a glance up at the large grandfather clock. "However, it's really late, and we should probably head to bed."

"Good point, wouldn't want to fall asleep in Binns' class tomorrow now, would we?" Remus smiled upon referencing the ghost professor most known for sending his students to sleep with his monotonous drones, despite the pair not taking his classes.

"Something like that." Amelia grinned, before throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a quick hug. "Goodnight, Remus."

"'Night, Mel," He said before she turned to run up the stairwell towards the girls' dormitory and he turned to go up to his.

A cough of someone clearing their throat sounded near the fire.

Startled, Remus turned towards the source.

"Remus," Sirius took this opportunity of solitude, to finally ask Remus the question that had recently been plaguing him. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Remus enquired, taking a seat opposite Sirius.

"With Amelia, with Lily, with Glenda, with all of them?"

"Do what with them?"

"You know, act so casually? I've never seen you flirt, yet you can make them smile, make them laugh. Not an immature giggle, or flirtatious smile, but _real_ laughter and smiles." Sirius struggled to find the words to illustrate how he felt inside. "It's just so, _genuine_. I've never seen that. Why have I not seen that? How do you do it?"

"You're jealous of my friendships with girls?" Remus asked gently.

Sirius sat quietly, gazing at the rug near his feet and avoiding eye-contact.

"I… I don't know." Remus shrugged honestly. "I guess, when you and James look at girls, you only seem to notice the cute ones who you can have a bit of fun with today. What about the book-worm who lives in the library, the budding astrologist who spends her nights gazing at the stars; the girls who hold a higher level of respect for themselves and won't have a bit of fun with you today, but who you can connect with on an intellectual level; the ones you can develop a long-lasting relationship with? It's a matter of really connecting with someone, of being a friend, spending quality time with them; everything else flows on from that. You've probably been going about it a bit backward, as they say, _'you don't love someone because they're beautiful; they're beautiful because you love them'_."

There was a brief pause where nothing was spoken between the pair. Remus could not decipher where these questions were coming from and it was a shock to his system to hear the words uttered from his best friend's lips. His best friend, who was usually so full of confidence, now had his voice breaking in a nervous discussion about an unknown girl as he turned to his most mature friend for guidance and support.

"Moony, how do you know if you're in love?" his voice was barely above a whisper.

This question took Remus off guard and he hesitated a moment, examining Sirius' solemn face before responding.

"Well, they say you feel any and every feeling, physical and emotional, all at once." Remus leaned forward and rested his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Whether that be tingling, numbness, pain, or a sickness in the pit of your stomach; you may feel dread, nerves, or elation; you may go weak at the knees, or feel like you're flying. I guess everyone is different, but I do know, that in some way, your body will be insistent upon letting you know how you feel."

"Thanks, Moony," Sirius said a moment later, standing up to indicate the end of their conversation.

"Let's go to bed, Padfoot." Remus suggested gently, smiling to wordlessly show Sirius that everything that was just said would remain in the strictest confidence, even though he himself, remained clueless as to any specifics.


	9. Apples and Oranges

_**CHAPTER EIGHT: "Apples and Oranges"**_

"Stop it!" Cherie snapped at Amelia who was nervously biting her fingernails as they waited outside their Transfiguration classroom for their next class.

Obediently Amelia dropped her hand from her mouth and looked to her friends worriedly.

"You'll be fine," Lily reassured her, resting a hand on Amelia's shoulder. "You've put in all the practice _and_ you can practically quote the entire text book you've read it that many times. You'll be fine."

Dark circles ringed Amelia's eyes, clear evidence of the last two sleepless nights spent studying for this morning's assessment. The only explanation for her still being able to stand upright was due to the insane amount of coffee Cherie had fed her in a bid to wake her up.

"Remember the toad?" Amelia fretted.

"Who cares about useless old toads?" Cherie rolled her eyes. "Besides, we're not even using toads today. You just need to calm yourself down, take a deep breath, and you'll be fine."

Amelia looked to her unconvinced as their classmates started to gather in the corridor along with them.

"Good morning Cherie, Amelia," James said as he and his friends approached the group of girls before adding with a nod, "Evans."

The morning sunlight was gently filtering through the stained glass windows in the corridor, shining colored patterns across the wooden flooring. Scuff marks were visible in the wood, worn down from hundreds of years' of students dragging their feet along to classes. Suddenly, a heavy satchel swung forward and dropped to the ground with a loud thud near James' feet.

"You guys ready for this morning?" Sirius, now relieved of his bag, stretched his arms well above his head carelessly, his shirt slipping out from the waistband of his uniform as he slouched against the wall.

"Of course we are," Lily said matter-of-factly.

"Gee girl, you look like a walking corpse." James said looking Amelia up and down.

Instinctively, Amelia shyly retreated behind Lily, using her as a human shield.

"So what if she was up late studying? I can't help but notice you lot haven't been studying." Lily retorted.

"Been watching out for me, ay Evans?" A cheeky smile spread across his face.

With a creak, the classroom door swung open behind them and Lily just narrowed her gaze at James as Professor McGonagall stepped into the corridor. Her graying hair was pulled tightly back into a bun, not a single hair out of place and she sported her usual favorite emerald green robe sweeping around her fragile frame, a small ornate brooch adorning the front. Today, she resumed an air of sincere authority; calm, collected and strict.

"Good morning class." She began. "As I trust you are all well aware, your first assessment is going to be held this morning. I expect full silence from the moment you enter this classroom and trust you will abide by the normal Hogwarts examination rules which I know you are all very familiar with."

Stepping aside, Professor McGonagall allowed the students to file into the room one-by-one and each find their respective seats. Walking straight up to the middle to the head of the classroom, she turned to her students and waited for them to settle down.

"In front of you, please find an anti-cheating quill and a blank scroll of parchment. In just a moment, you will have 30 minutes to respond to the questions above on the board. The remaining portion of the class will be allocated to practical assessment. Each question is worth 20 of your grade, with the practical assessment making up the remaining 40. No one is permitted to talk. Any offenders will see themselves immediately removed to detention, with a failing grade. Am I understood?" She added, with a meaningful glance at James and Sirius.

"Yes, Professor." The class responded in unison.

"Right, your time starts now." She concluded, and with a wave of her wand, three questions materialized on the board at the front of the class room.

Chewing her bottom lip, Amelia read the questions before her.

_What is the most vital component to transfiguration, the wand/magical abilities or witch/wizard? Why?_

_Which key factor links to the transfiguration of colours?_

_Which important influence did Gwendolyn Poland have in transfiguration studies with her discovery in 1321 A.D?_

Instantly she was surprised that she felt confident in answering each of the questions, and a ray of hope shone over her nerves. The most vital component to transfiguration was of course the witch or wizard themselves, as it is all to do with their concentration, and their association with the objects they wish to create. The key factor to the transfiguration of colours was clear visualization. Whereas Gwendolyn Poland was famous for being the first person to become an animagus, being able to take the form of an animal at will.

Confidently, she looped her handwriting over her parchment, not pausing for a moment. Finally, satisfied that each question had been answered in its entirety and to the best of her ability, she placed her quill down and picked up her parchment to examine any errors in her response.

Shortly after, McGonagall called their attention and magicked all of their papers into a neat pile atop her desk. "Now, for the practical assessment, please clear your desks."

The class did as they were told and a large basket rose up from the back of the classroom and began to move towards the students. As if by an invisible hand, an apple was lowered from the basket to the centre of each desk.

"You will spend the next ten minutes, transfiguring the apple you see before you into an orange. Marks will be allocated for colour, texture and finally for taste. You may begin."

Her time was nearly up and Amelia was on her third apple, the first one had turned into a mouse and ran from the class room. The second one had exploded leaving apple remains in her hair and over her face.

Concentrating with all her might on the apple in front of her, she muttered the incantation repeatedly under her breath, then with a flick of her wand a purple jet shot out of it, just as Professor McGonagall pronounced the assessment over.

Horrified, Amelia gazed at her assignment as the professor commenced grading.

Reaching James' table, he twirled his wrist in a flourish and presented the perfectly colored and ripe orange to the professor with a deep bow.

"Oh, that is heavenly!" McGonagall exclaimed a moment later, tasting Sirius' orange. "Full marks, Mr.Black."

Varying results were evident around the class, including Lily's orange which appeared yellow and Cherie's orange which still contained an apple core when sliced in half. But none of the results were as atrocious as Amelia's attempt. The skin's texture had changed yet remained red and when McGonagall cut into it, it the flesh was soft and yellow like a banana's.

"Well, Miss Lambeth." McGonagall was evidently at a lost for what to say. "Do you still hope to become a Healer when you graduate?"

"Yes, Professor." Amelia said with a quick nod.

"And you are, of course, aware that to become a Healer you require a minimum of an 'exceeds expectations' grade in several subjects, including transfiguration?" Again, Amelia nodded. "Good, so you will therefore know that results like this are not going to be satisfactory. You have a lot of work to do if you wish to succeed at the end of the year, Miss Lambeth. You may even find it beneficial to join with one of your more experienced class mates to study."

"Yes, Professor." The girl reddened, as the professor moved away from her to assess the next piece of work.

Amelia felt she could not have been dismissed too soon as humiliated she awaited with her class mates until all the practical assessments had been fully examined. Upset, she hastily departed the room with Lily and Cherie close behind.

"What am I going to do?!" Amelia exclaimed in despair before sobbing on Cherie's shoulder.

Lily and Cherie exchanged a look over her shoulder. Amelia had always wanted to be a Healer and follow in her mother's, and her mother's-mother's footsteps to work at St Mungo's hospital, caring for witches and wizards alike. All of her grades were perfect, but she always struggled with the practical side of transfiguration; with every 'failure' pushing her one step further away from her dream.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew the attention of the three girls back. Head down, Amelia wiped the tears from her eyes and raised her gaze to meet with the boy's.

"What do you want, Sirius?" Lily asked scornfully.

"To speak with Amelia…" he began before Cherie cut him off.

"Whatever you wish to say to her, you can say in front of us."

Clearing his throat again, Sirius shifted uncomfortably beneath the gaze of the three girls. His usual dominating confidence and pride was well and truly in hiding as he struggled to form the basic words he'd had circulating in his mind for the past ten minutes.

"Well, you see, I heard what McGonagall said to you before… about needing to find someone to study transfiguration with…"

"What's your point, Sirius?" Cherie snapped.

"Well… I've always had full marks in transfiguration… thought you may like to study with me. Or for me to help tutor you…"

His dark grey eyes looked deep into hers, awaiting her response. Amelia bit down on her lip and looked nervously between Lily and Cherie, trying to gauge their reaction.

"Is this some sort of joke?" She asked cautiously.

"No, no, no. Of course not, why would it be?" Sirius responded hastily.

Amelia's thoughts flashed back to the night three weeks earlier, where she had fought with Cherie. _'A leopard doesn't change its spots…'_ It had taken all week for Cherie to forgive her for trusting Sirius' intentions and giving him the benefit of the doubt. Cherie had proven herself right when even the girls were punished with detentions for the boys' playing hooky. She could not and would not defy that loyalty in friendship, for the sake of trusting others with a disreputable history, again.

"Why would you ever do anything to help me? You're mean. You're always playing pranks on people. Are you just after me to be the victim of your next 'joke'?"

Sirius' jaw dropped in shock.

"You see this?" She was on a roll now and pulled at the badge on the front of her robes. "You realize you nearly cost me this? That you nearly got Lily removed from her position as head girl? Or what about Remus, he could've lost his badge; and he's your friend! I guess we can all just be thankful that Professor Dumbledore decided to give us a second chance, with nothing more than an endless string of detentions as punishment. Which, by the way, I have to be at my next one in just a few minutes; three hours of polishing crystal balls and re-stocking tealeaves in the Divination room, it's just what I've always wanted, Sirius, thank you."

Turning on her heel, she head off down the corridor without a backwards glance.

Cherie smirked at Sirius before turning down another corridor to her detention in the glasshouses, and Lily silently left for Filch's office where she was expected for cleaning tasks in the main foyer.

* * *

Amelia felt her stomach twist and turn uncomfortably as she weaved her way through the familiar corridors. Never, would she have guessed she could act so out of character and make a scene like that. She yelled at Sirius. She let her pride and peer pressure influence her actions, taking away any chance of the help that she so desperately required.

"It was the right thing to do," Amelia muttered to herself under her breath. "Cherie and Lily were right. He takes nothing seriously. Accepting his help would be pointless and be more bother than it's worth. Yes, it was the right thing to do."

Still not fully convinced, she noticed her hands were quivering as she rested her hand on the bottom rung of the ladder beneath the divination tower and she began to climb.

Her head emerged through the other side of the small portal in the ceiling and her nostrils were greeted with the soft wafting scent of incense which left a light hazy cloud throughout the room. The room was stifling hot, and full of several velvet cushions strewn about the floor surrounding low tables, each of which had a crystal ball in the centre. Lit candles gave the room a light glow, and the curtains wafted dozily in the windows.

"Miss Lambeth," The woman's voice cut through the tranquility of the music playing from an enchanted harp. "Take a seat, won't you."

Peter Pettigrew had already arrived was seated in the chair opposite the professor's round desk.

Professor Myers was a young woman, not much older than the students she taught. A seer dressed in the simplest of clothing, adorned with elaborate pieces of jewelry which had various crystals and stones embedded in them. Her sharp blue eyes sparkled in the light and her long blonde hair was swept to the side over one shoulder.

"Well, you two have been in quite some trouble I believe. Professor McGonagall has put me in charge of your next detention. Your tasks for today are to polish the crystal balls at each table – however, you mustn't touch them with your bare hands, for you will disturb the spirits. The wooden filing cabinet in the corner needs to be sorted categorically and alphabetically, my first years have been a bit careless about where they put things away, and now it's impossible to find anything. I then require a stock take of the tealeaves." She concluded handing a list to Peter.

"Yes, Professor," the pair responded.

"The spirits have informed me that you can both be trusted, so I will leave you to it and will return at 6 o'clock to dismiss you for dinner."

With that the professor stood and with a quick smile, she threw a handful of floo powder into the fire grate. She took a step into the fireplace and with the green flames licking around her frame she called out for the Three Broomsticks and disappeared.

"Right, let's get this over with." Amelia sighed grabbing a polishing cloth and kneeling on a cushion before one of the small tables. Careful to not touch the crystal ball, she picked it up with the cloth and gently started buffing it with a second cloth.

"I'll do the tealeaves." Peter said reading the list in his hands as he walked towards the tall cabinet across the room.

Not paying attention to where he was going, Peter walked into Amelia, causing the delicate ball to slip from her grasp. Amelia lunged forward as Peter could do nothing but stare open-mouthed as the ball spun in the air, reflecting the light as it fell towards the bare floorboards. Mere inches from the floor, Amelia's pale hand scooped beneath the ball, catching it just before the unthinkable happened.

"Watch where you're going! Can you imagine the trouble we'd be in if that broke?!" Amelia exclaimed, her heart beating double-time with the adrenaline as she carefully cradled the fragile object in her palm.

"I'm sorry. I should've been…" Peter began when he caught sight of the crystal ball.

The pair had been so panicked as the ball tumbled towards the ground, that neither of them had noticed a dark cloud swirling around within it. Amelia followed his gaze and quickly lowered the ball back to the tabletop as the cloud separated and a darker figure moved forward through it. The split second before the apparition disappeared was long enough for Amelia to sight the creature within. A rabid dog, its teeth bared in a snarling growl.

"Uh, I think I'll do the tealeaves if that's okay." Amelia reached for the list Peter still held and backed away slowly. One look at his expression showed he'd not seen the form that the apparition had taken, but he didn't protest as she went to the cabinet.

Two hours later, the tealeaves cupboard was neatly organized and the crystal balls were gleaming. The tired teens had now moved to the filing cabinet in the corner and were trying to organize a series of cards, files and booklets.

"Uh, what about dagger?" Peter looked to Amelia quizzically.

She scanned the files before her. "Miscellaneous objects?"

"Done." He nodded, satisfied.

"Hmm… Did you know dagger is the symbol of skill and power? I thought it'd mean death, or murder or something." Amelia ran her eyes over the file before slipping it alphabetically into the right drawer.

"You learn something new every day." Peter commented, reaching for the next file. "Raven, would be under animals, birds?"

"Sounds good to me." Amelia shrugged.

"Right, and a grim would go under mythical creatures, of course." He handed the file to her casually. "Rose… flora, I guess."

Amelia had frozen, her eyes fastened to the file before her, as though held by an invisible force she couldn't look away.

Headed with the word "Grim", the parchment contained a picture of a black snarling dog, with an incredible likeness to the apparition that had formed within the crystal ball earlier. Its fiery red eyes were flaring with feral rage. The bewitched image was snapping its jaws in Amelia's direction, as though it were ready to leap from the page at any moment and devour her.

To read that the grim was the guardian of dead souls was more than enough to send Amelia into a further state of paranoia. She had grown up with aspects of divination integrated into her life. Right before her mother was even pregnant her seer had foretold a daughter would be born to her within the year. Her grandmother also dabbled in divination and used it to aid with some of her work as a healer, to discover the correct diagnosis in mysterious cases.

Highly wary that the grim portends death, Amelia's mind raced. In denial that she was about to die, she thought of those closest to her. Her parents, her grandmother, Lily, Cherie, Remus...

"Amelia? Amelia!" Peter waved the next file in her face. "Come on, we're nearly done here."

"Huh, oh yea…" She said coming back down to reality and stowing the Grim's file deep within the cabinet. Lily would never stop laughing if she found out about her superstitious paranoia; and thus she vowed to try and push the images far from her mind.

* * *

_A/N - Thank you to anyone and everyone who has been reading 'Change is in the Air' - I hope you've been enjoying it so far! And an even bigger thanks to those who choose to review and/or add me/my story to your favorites list! I especially owe my sincere thanks to Brianna London, Z.A Marie and SiriuslyDistracted for all their help with my writing - be it encouragement, editing or just being there to bounce ideas off of. I truely do appreciate all of your help._

_I'm only half way through my next chapter, and am having a lot of trouble with it - so don't foresee me updating before Christmas - but I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and to those of you lucky enough to get a holiday, enjoy it! (I'm working Christmas Eve AND Boxing Day!) Hopefully Santa will stuff my stocking with some inspiration to get my next chapter finished sooner rather than later!  
_

_ Love, Charlotte _

* * *

_Pre-warning: I believe that the next chapter has the first content that is deserving of the "M" rating I have chosen. It will contain sexual scenes. In later chapters, higher levels of violence will start to be integrated into my story. If you are easily offended, please consider yourself warned._


	10. There's no way

_**CHAPTER NINE: "There's no way."**_

An exploding uproar omitted from either side of the group of Gryffindors. To their left was a loud chorus of "No"'s as denial surged amongst the students clad in yellow, whilst the green sea of students opposite, were performing a Mexican-wave and shooting green and silver sparks and confetti from the tips of their wands.

After an hour of the Slytherin quidditch team tormenting the Hufflepuffs with endless goals and tricky maneuvers, the Slytherin seeker finally swooped down and caught the snitch, winning the game with 530 points to 20.

To watch the game was like watching a cat play with a mouse before its execution. Pouncing and licking it before letting it scamper away with a sliver of hope, only to pounce again.

As their team captain and star player, Phoenix had guided his team to victory in between scoring miraculous goals. The only goals the opposing team had scored were due to penalty shots, for the rest of the time, with the chaser mere moments from scoring, two bludgers would be fired from either side, either knocking the player off of their broom or forcing them to veer right off course.

The Slytherin team rose on their brooms and flew in a victory lap around the stadium. Phoenix led the way, a smug grin spread across his face as his house cheered him on.

"Oh, that was brilliant!" Cherie exclaimed excitedly.

"Anyone would think _you_ were in Slytherin." Lily laughed.

"Just out of curiosity, where will your loyalties lie when it'll be Slytherin playing against Gryffindor?" Amelia enquired, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Oh, Phoenix and I have already placed bets. I have fifty galleons on Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup." Cherie answered, turning to where James was seated a couple of rows behind them. "Don't you dare let me down, Potter! I've already planned how I'm going to spend his money!"

"I've already got _one hundred_ galleons on the same bet with my loudmouthed Herbology partner. There's no way I can let Slytherin beat us now!"

"As long as my money's safe," she said turning back and waving to Phoenix who nodded in acknowledgement. "Right, I've got to go. See you at dinner."

Cherie scooped up her jacket and gave Amelia and Lily a quick hug before fleeing down the stairwell ahead of the other students who were slowly leaving.

"I thought I'd go to visit Hagrid, want to come with?" Lily asked Amelia.

"I wish I could, but Remus and I have to finish our Herbology assignment." She said regretfully. "Be sure to say 'Hi' for me, okay?"

"Will do," Lily said, veering off the path as the rest of the students headed back to the castle.

Shortly after, Lily reached the stone cottage at the edge of the path and was dwarfed by the vast size of the front door. She raised a hand to knock but when no answer greeted her, she walked around the side of the cottage to the side-gate which led to Hagrid's garden.

Sure enough, the half-giant's wide-crested back could be seen bent over, watering his pumpkins and humming a tune to himself as he worked. A lion-sized puppy lay at Hagrid's feet, lounging in the sun whilst the fluffy blue radafemia danced around the garden, pouncing on insects like a kitten.

"'Afternoon, Hagrid," Lily called.

A smile cracked its way through his bushy beard as he walked towards her and pulled her into a hug.

"Lily! How nice ter see you. I was jus' thinkin' 'bout inviting you girls over to help me with the big plate o' brownies I made earlier. Amelia an' Cherie aren't with you today then?" He asked, looking behind her expectantly.

"No, they had other plans. We've got a major Herbology assignment due at the end of the week."

"Ne'er mind, all the more brownies fer us." He chuckled as he picked up the basket of carrots he'd picked from the garden and walked up the back stairs, holding his back door open for Lily. "Come Fang."

The puppy bounded up the steps and straight inside where he settled on a rug by the empty fire grate. Zell fluttered in behind him and sat proudly in the doorway, watching as Lily followed.

Hagrid's hut was small, but homey. Wide wooden floorboards were bare except for the sparse furniture placed around the one-roomed hut. The stone walls held thick, heavy curtains and lead upwards to an arched ceiling suspended upon thick timber pillars.

A sagging bed was tucked in the corner of the room covered with a hand-stitched quilt. Hanging around the small kitchen there were numerous unidentifiable plants and herbs hung to dry. Hagrid placed the carrots on the bench top and retrieved a kettle smothered in an owl-shaped tea-cozy and an overloaded plate of brownies.

"I jus' made a brew too, perfec' timing," Hagrid sat the teapot down on the table, sliding the brownies toward Lily before turning once more to the kitchen for two mugs. "How'd the game go? I could hear all the commotion echoing down from the stands. I would 'ave gone to see it myself, yeh see, yea, it's a bit negative, bu' I wasn' in the mood to see Slytherin tauntin' Hufflepuff again."

"Over 500 points between their scores, Slytherin will be boasting that score for a long time to come." Lily confirmed.

"Ah well, Gryffindor will just 'ave to put 'em in their place, won' they?" Hagrids black eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke as a true and loyal ex-Gryffindor.

In the corner of the room, the wizarding wireless magically crackled to life by itself, and a male voice emitted from the speaker.

"_We interrupt you this afternoon with breaking news. Notorious terrorist, Voldemort, has just launched an attack in a small muggle community in Essex."_

A shadow of concern crossed Lily's face, as she moved forward and turned the volume up.

"_Accompanied by approximately 30 black hooded followers, they are using unforgivable curses to torture the muggles and all wizarding authorities who have come to their defense._

"_The Minister of Magic is currently dispatching aurors to the site, whilst working closely with the muggle Prime Minister to send in rescue teams._

"_This is the first attack that this group has ever aimed towards wizarding officials and is believed to be in retaliation for defending the tortured muggles. We will be back with updates within the hour."_

"Hagrid? Exactly how serious do you think this is?" Lily said.

"Well… euh… well, the Ministry is working on it, yeh see? They'll get it sorted, just leave it to them."

"Oh yea, coz they're doing such a great job of it already? Voldemort has been launching attacks for months now, and they're still no closer to stopping him."

"They will, don't you worry Lily." Hagrid rested a heavy hand on her shoulder. "As long as there are those ready to fight against him, he won't win."

Zell made a small squeak and fluttered her silvery wings indignantly, to which made the large puppy wimper cower behind Hagrid.

"An attention-seekin' lil' mite tha' one is." Hagrid chuckled to himself. "Anyway, there's a big plate 'o brownies waiting there with your name on 'em, so tuck in."

* * *

"And six," Cherie quietly counted to herself from the dark corner beneath the quidditch stands, as the Slytherin keeper emerged from the changing rooms.

Knowing that now only one occupant remained in the room, Cherie removed her compact from her pocket and quickly touched up her makeup before entering.

A heavy steam filled the room from the showers, and the musky scent of deodorant hung in the air.

Wearing nothing but a towel, Phoenix stood at the mirror, running his fingers through his wet hair.

"Well, fancy seeing you here." He said, unfazed by the female presence in the room.

"You flew awesomely today." She said as Phoenix approached her.

"Go on," he prompted, playing with Cherie's long black hair with his fingertips.

"You, uh, really deserved to win…" Cherie said breathlessly, her eyes taking in the sight before her. From his muscular arms, toned chest and abs, down to the trail of hair that led from his belly-button and disappeared beneath the edge of his towel.

Phoenix's lustful eyes locked with Cherie's as his mouth came down and collided with hers passionately, tasting each other as their tongues intertwined. He hoisted her up into his hands and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he backed her against the wall.

With Cherie seated on one of his hands, he used the other to caress her breast. Making quick work of the buttons holding her blouse closed, she soon dropped it to the ground and began running her nails up and down his back.

Several moments later, the exhausted blond was reclined back on a bench with a satisfied smirk on his face as the Gryffindor was slowly redressing.

"I really wish I didn't have to go," Cherie sighed. "But if I don't go to this detention, it'll just give Filch more time to find a worse one for me to do."

"Just ditch those Gryffindors and spend more time with me. I'll keep you out of trouble." Phoenix winked, his eyes sparkling.

"I wouldn't say 'No' to spending more time with you." Cherie smiled, straddling Phoenix's lap and kissing him full on the lips. "But if you think I'm going ditch Lil' and Mel, you're sadly mistaken."

"We'll see if you change your tune after an afternoon of scrubbing out bedpans." Phoenix tugged a pair of jeans on and held Cherie in his arms.

"Well, you are mister nice, aren't you?" Cherie kissed him once more. "But, if I don't go now I'll be late."

"Try not to miss me too much." Phoenix called to her retreating back as the door shut behind her.

"I told you to get close to her, not to screw her." An icy cold voice barked from behind him.

"The perks of the job," Phoenix said smugly, turning to face Bellatrix who had stepped out of the end cubicle.

She bore down on him, the determination vivid in her wild eyes as she glared at the boy. Her footsteps echoed on the tiled flooring as she moved forward, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"As long as you remain focused on our goals, or I'll personally make sure of it that you'll regret it."

A dark look crossed Phoenix's eyes and he looked at her squarely.

"I know how important this is. I won't screw it up."

* * *

_A/N - I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, it took a lot out of me!_

_Please R&R, especially if you have any suggestions for the next chapter! I have numerous ideas in my head, but it's too early on in the story to be able to enact any of them - so I honestly have no idea what's going into the next chapter at this stage. Do you want to see more of a particular character? More of them in class with magic? Or in casual situations? Just drop me a line and hope it inspires me :)_

_ Charlotte _


	11. It all adds up!

_© Charlotte Stevens - 14th August 2007_

_**CHAPTER TEN: "It all adds up!"**_

"Has anyone seen my strappy heels?" Cherie paced the girls' room, wand drying her hair as she searched through the pile of rejected outfits covering her four poster bed.

"In your trunk," Amelia called from her position in the window seat across the room, not lifting her gaze from her essay.

"Thanks," she mumbled distractedly, digging out her shoes and the halter-neck dress she had chosen earlier before disappearing back into the bathroom. "What's the time?"

Lily gave up on reading her book and let out a sigh as she dropped it next to her on the bed.

"It's seven twenty."

Cherie came back into the room pulling her shoes on as she turned around and held her hair out of the way for Lily. "Quick, zip me up."

"So, where's Phoenix taking you then?"

"We're just going for a few drinks in town."

"Just remember that you've still got a curfew _and_ you share a room with two prefects who have a duty to report students abusing their privileges." Lily reminded, taking on her head-girl role.

"Spoil sport." Cherie grinned and planted a kiss on Lily's cheek. "But I'm supposed to be meeting Phoenix downstairs as we speak, so I've got to go. Bye Mel!" She called before departing from the room and hastily rushing off.

"We should be making a move too." Lily sighed, stretching and getting to her feet. "Amelia?"

"Mmm?"

"You do remember Flitwick's expecting us at half past, right? We should get going."

"Oh, right." Amelia nodded, taking a final glance over her paper. "I've just been working on my transfiguration assignment; you couldn't perhaps help me with that a bit later, could you?"

"Sure, I'll help… but it won't do you much good, we both know my transfiguration grades only scrape through at the best of times…" Lily trailed off in a thoughtful trance.

"What?" Amelia asked, despite sensing she wouldn't like the response she got.

"Well… Sirius did ask you if you wanted help…"

"No. No, I can't do that. Cherie would never let me hear the end of it. He's horrible, and conceited… Even you said so yourself." Amelia shook her head violently, pushing her books to one side. "No, I can do it myself."

"Just because you're accepting his help, it doesn't mean you have to like or trust him. It wouldn't be the end of the world."

"Lily, please? Not now, okay?"

"Okay," Lily shook her head and filed her book on the bookcase as Amelia went to go downstairs.

"Uh, Lily, come and have a look at this." Amelia called from the doorway.

Curious, Lily crossed the room and looked over Amelia's shoulder. There, magically suspended mid air, was a bouquet of lilies with a tiny tag which read nothing more than _"For my dearest Lily_". She held the large bouquet in her arms and sunk her nose into the flowers, inhaling their sweet scent.

"They're gorgeous." Lily commented half to herself, musing as to who was the sender as Amelia conjured a vase out of thin air and set it on the nightstand for Lily to put the flowers into.

"Ooo! Ooo!" Amelia froze momentarily before bouncing with an excitedly wide grin on her face. "Thomas McMann! I heard he's got a window box of muggle flowers outside of the Hufflepuff dormitory window – it must be him!"

"Who sent me these? No… you think so?" Lily slowly began to descend the stairs, a frown upon her face. "But, he hardly ever even talks to me."

"He's too shy, don't you see? It all adds up!" Amelia was ecstatic in her belief that she had revealed the identity of Lily's secret admirer.

"I…"

"Ahem," the girls were interrupted as they exited the common room and found themselves face to face with Professor McGonagall.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" Amelia enquired. "Is something wrong?"

"I was looking for you, Miss Lambeth." Her tone was somber.

"We were just going to help Professor Flitwick tutor his OWL's class…" Lily looked to Amelia.

"Miss Evans, you may proceed to the charm's classroom. I'm sorry Miss Lambeth, but Headmaster Dumbledore requests your presence. I will immediately message Professor Flitwick, he will not be awaiting you this evening."

With a flick of her wand, a small scroll and quill rapidly scribbled out a short note before the scroll snapped shut and flew itself down the corridor.

"This way." Professor McGonagall asserted, turning on the spot and heading towards Headmaster Dumbledore's office.

Amelia raised her hand in a silent goodbye to Lily before hastening after the professor. Their footsteps echoed off of the bare stone walls as the pair snaked up and down various corridors and through numerous concealed doorways until they finally stood before a large, wooden door. Professor McGonagall sharply rapped her knuckles against the frame three times and the door silently swung open.

The firelight gave a warm, comforting aura to the room, as shadows danced around the walls lined with portraits of previous headmasters of the school. Headmaster Dumbledore was seated at his desk, and he peered over his spectacles to address his guests.

"Ah, dear Miss Lambeth, please come in and take a seat," Headmaster Dumbledore said solemnly, getting to his feet and guiding her to a luxuriously plump seat next to the fire before sitting opposite her. "Minerva, would you mind please pouring us each some tea?" He added, gesturing to a small table to the side of the room, with a teapot and three cups placed on it.

"Yes, Albus." Professor McGonagall said turning away. Amelia could have sworn she saw the beginnings of tears welling up in her eyes.

"Miss Lambeth," Headmaster Dumbledore said, drawing her attention back to him. "I suppose you've been wondering why I have summoned you here this evening."

"Yes, Sir."

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before beginning.

"I have just received an urgent owl from your grandmother to inform me that your father has just been flown to St Mungo's." His fingertips met at a peak beneath his chin and he examined Amelia's initial response before continuing. "He and his auror team were called in to address the attacks of Voldemort in Essex earlier today. They, themselves, were attacked by Voldemort's followers for their efforts."

Amelia stared in disbelief at the man before her. It was all she could do to keep from crying out.

"The curses he endured during the attack were very powerful, and thus he is in grave condition. Your mother and grandmother are caring for him, as well as the other injured aurors, at St Mungo's with a diverse range of medi-wizards behind them."

"I… I… can I go and see him? I-I've got to go and see him." Amelia stuttered with a single salty tear running down her cheek, as Professor McGonagall pushed a teacup into her hands. It was laced with a calming draught, Amelia could smell its distinct sweetness rise through the steam omitting from the cup. She sipped at it timidly, hoping for some clarity and calm to arise from the warm liquid.

"I am sorry Amelia, but your mother has requested that you stay here this weekend. Your father is on a restricted ward and non-hospital employees are not granted admission. She has said she will make arrangements for you to go in next weekend, if you would like."

"Yes, yes, of course I would like to go, Sir."

Under the watchful eyes of both professors, Amelia took another sip from her tea and set it aside. She needed to get out, to get away and let her head clear. "May I be dismissed?"

"Yes, of course, my dear." Headmaster Dumbledore said softly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "My door is open to you at any time, of any day, or night, if you need me for anything."

"I will escort you back to your dormitory." Professor McGonagall said with her voice on breaking point.

"Thank you, Professor, but that is not necessary."

Professor McGonagall looked sharply to Headmaster Dumbledore who shook his head in disagreement with her.

"You go and get yourself some rest." Headmaster Dumbledore concluded as he walked Amelia to the door.

"Thank you, Sir." Amelia said quietly before departing.

* * *

Following the dark silhouette of a large man with two beasts hefted over his shoulders, Sirius stumbled beneath the weight of the dead creature weighing on his own back.

This was his third and final detention since the trouble he'd gotten into for skipping class and dueling in the corridor. By far, this was his toughest punishment ever received; and he and James had had more than their fair share of punishments over the years.

"So sad when the littles' babies get trampled by the herd. So sad." Hagrid blubbed as he lowered the large carcasses into a corner of his garden.

Sirius staggered the last few steps before flopping the smaller beast which he had carried, over the other two. Stretching backwards, he rolled his shoulders and looked to the sky which was rapidly darkening as the sun descended behind the surrounding trees.

"It's getting dark. I can finish up 'ere, you head on back up to the castle." Hagrid smiled through his tear-stained beard.

"Thanks, Hagrid!" Sirius flashed a friendly smile and waved before jogging up Hagrid's garden path and around through the side gate. It may have been a brutal detention, but only Hagrid would have let him out of it early. Filch, on the other hand, would have enjoyed dragging it out much longer than necessary, right into the small hours of the morning.

Sirius looked up and shook his hair from his eyes, just in time to see a cloaked figure emerge from the grand entrance to the castle and run down the front steps. He recognized Amelia's figure as her long brown hair trailed behind her. It was the same vision he had become accustomed to seeing around exam time over the last six years, as in a flustered panic, Amelia was often running upstairs for a book or down corridors to the library. He couldn't place what was different, but this was not the usual panic he was used to seeing her in, for a start, she wasn't dragging a heavy satchel laden with books.

Curiosity took hold of him, and instinctively, Sirius dropped down on all fours as his animagus form to follow her as she disappeared beneath the large curtain of leaves that fell from a grand weeping willow at the water's edge.

There was an eerie stillness in the air as Sirius approached the tree's edge and he pushed through the veil of leaves. He could see Amelia's frame curled up at the foot of the tree, crying into her hands, and felt a pang in his heart as he wondered what sadness could've fallen upon someone whom he viewed as being so perfect.

Sensing the movement as Sirius approached, Amelia's head jerked up towards him. Her face twisted into one of shock and fear as she saw the large black dog approaching her and she desperately pushed backwards with her feet, trying to distance herself from him and get to her feet.

"Grim, no. No, grim." Amelia fumbled into her robes for her wand and drew it out infront of her.

Entranced by the tears glistening upon her cheeks, Sirius tentatively took another couple of steps forward.

"_Oh hellith be, thy curse is done. Take my charm and reverse as one_." As Amelia mumbled the charm, glowing ribbons of purple and pink started to trail from the end of her wand and surround her in a protective spiral. "_Banish thy creature of the night. Fill me with light to defeat thy plight._"

Towards the end, Amelia's voice rose in both volume and strength. The ribbons exploded outward from her and threw Sirius backward several feet, leaving Amelia within a dull purple aura circulating around her.

From past research for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Art's classes, Amelia expected her charm would provide temporary protection from evil creatures like this, with the resulting effect being that they will be repelled from the strength of the enchantment and forced to recoil by at least 100 meters. So it was to her surprise when the stunned dog lay motionless on the ground gazing at her. There was an odd look hiding within in its smoky grey eyes, one with an almost human quality that caused her to rethink her initial snap judgment.

Amelia leant back against the tree, and watched as the dog slowly got to its feet and moved closer to her. Her eyes were trained on his, the image of the blazing red eyes of a grim contrasting the dog's grey ones.

Sirius quietly moved closer. He was highly wary of frightening her further, but his heart wouldn't allow him to leave Amelia like this without trying to offer her some solace. Coming to a stop before her, he sat down and looked up to her. Her knees buckled beneath her and she slid down the trunk of the tree and she moved to a seated position.

Gently, Sirius nuzzled his nose into Amelia's palm as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around the dog, seeking comfort and warmth from him as her whole body raked with sobs.

Amelia had soon cried herself to sleep, and Sirius lay as a pillow beneath her head, just watching her sleep. Her breathing set to a steady rhythm and her face was finally set in a peaceful expression, contrasting the distraught look that had pained Sirius. His instincts were to wrap his arms around her and ask what was wrong, but he looked down to his paws and recalling Amelia's apparent dislike for him, he accepted that this was likely the closest that he would ever get to her, and he would do anything for this peaceful moment to last forever.

An hour later, the distant rumbling of thunder awoke Sirius and Amelia shivered in her sleep as the wind changed direction and swept over the pair. Sirius regretfully let out a little bark, disturbing Amelia. Opening her eyes she sat up and stretched her arms out as Sirius got up and another clap of thunder was heard, closer this time.

Amelia gathered herself up to go back to the castle, when she looked back to Sirius.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, before picking up the hem of her cloak and running across the grounds as rain began to fall from the sky.

As Sirius sat at the edge of the tree and watched her retreat back to the castle, his heart was much lighter and happier than it had been before. A warm feeling flushed through him and a smile tugged at the edge of his lips as he transfigured back into human form to follow.

* * *

_A/N: As you can obviously tell, I have been absolutely flat out since university went back in February - hence my lack of updates. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, as I'm still really busy, and to be completely honest, because I've not written a lot recently, I don't remember what I was going to put into the next chapter! I do have a mini notebook sitting around somewhere that's got all my chapters planned out, it's just a matter of finding it..._

_I also owe my thanks to _SiriuslyDistracted _and _Brianna London_ with feedback on this chapter, so I don't end up posting pure rubbish! Also, thanks goes to _Z.A. Marie_ who got me a great notebook for Christmas, which much of this, my latest chapter, has been written on :)_

_Here's hoping you're still enjoying 'Change is in the Air',_

_ Charlotte_


	12. Let's Play

© Charlotte Stevens - 14th August 2007

_A/N This chapter is written for my darling Sarah, who seems to love my Bella – I just hope this dedication is enough for you forgive me for what's about to happen to your beloved Sev, hun!_

* * *

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN: "Let's Play."**_

"Ugh, Snivellus, take your greasy self off into someone else's corridor." James sneered as Severus shuffled his way up the corridor to wait outside the potions classroom.

"Yea, you stink," Peter screwed up his nose and looked disdainfully over Severus' robes which were heavily soiled from making the polyjuice potion for Bellatrix. "Go take a shower." He added, training his wand toward Severus' face and shooting a jet of water from its tip.

Severus turned to move to a safer distance down the corridor and saw Bellatrix watching him, her arms folded across her chest as she leant against the wall with a heavy scowl over her face.

"Good morning students," Professor Slughorn greeted his class from the doorway. "I trust you are all fully rested and prepared to complete the next step of making a Sleeping Draught potion today. Again, I must reiterate how important it is to remain vigilant during this process – if anyone is sent to the hospital wing, you will fail. Right, come then." He said turning his back on them and moving back into the classroom with the mix of Gryffindor and Slytherin students following.

Severus took a step to follow and felt something sharply lash itself around his wrist. He whirled around and saw that Bellatrix had a whip trailing from the tip of her wand. She gave a sharp tug on the end of it, and he staggered towards her.

"Come with me." She hissed, her wild eyes unblinking as she looked over him and disappeared around the corner, unnoticed by the rest of the class.

Assured that he would always be able to catch up in potions, (provided Bellatrix didn't curse him into the hospital wing for disobeying her orders,) Severus made his decision and followed after her.

Moments later, Severus found himself in the silence of the Slytherin common room. Bellatrix was bewitching all furniture to move to the edges of the room and with a flick of her wrist, the door slammed itself shut behind Severus and the large bolt locked into place.

"_Imperturable!_" Bellatrix said in a firm voice, casting a silencing charm around the room before she turned on Severus.

He gulped loudly as a large lump rose in his throat, and he reached his hand deep within his robes and clasped his grasp around his own wand.

"What did you bring me here for?" He finally got up the courage to ask.

"You, are pathetic. A weak, pitiable excuse for a wizard." She annunciated, glowering over him. "You are half-blood filth."

Bellatrix stalked in a full circle around Severus, him passively standing still and watching her from the corner of his eye as she moved. She stood much lower than he did, but her dominating presence was definitely felt as each footfall resounded against the obsidian flooring and echoed around the stone walls. Her dark, sullen eyes were fixated on Severus as she spat insults at him.

"I question why I sought your help for the Dark Lord. I should hex you right now, to make up for my imprudence." She mused, fingering her wand.

"No! Please, don't!" The words escaped Severus' mouth before he was aware they had even formed on his tongue.

Bellatrix sharply turned her head to stare him in the eye, and clicked her tongue as she stepped closer to him. "It is reactions like that, that just solidify your weaknesses. You are weak. You need to take a stand. You need to learn to defend yourself. Constant ridiculing by mere blood-traitors," she scoffed. "You're a Slytherin, you should be above that. Even the scraggly ratty one who shadows my cousin is stronger than you. You're pathetic, and it makes my blood boil."

Severus was on the verge of breaking down as he cowered beneath her glare. "I'm sorry." He recoiled just as he did each time he was in this situation with James and Sirius, or any of the other numerous students who targeted him. He recoiled physically and mentally, trying to distance himself from what was happening until it had all passed.

"Sorry?! Slytherin's are never sorry!" She barked. "We do things with intent, and we do things right. Sorry will get you nowhere."

Severus slowly tried to back away from her, refusing to remove his eyes from the wild woman before him. Then Bellatrix's lips curved upwards into a smile of revelation, the image causing the boy's stomach to twist into nervous knots.

As a blaze of green light shot from the tip of her wand, he did not even hear the incantation before he dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. Bellatrix dropped the curse and Severus lay still on the cold floor, the cool temperature soothingly reminding him he was still alive.

"You're worthless scum. The one thing my cousin has gotten right since betraying the family." She said walking around his broken form on the floor before repeating the hex, "_Crucio!_"

Watching his body twitch, a manic power-hungry laugh escaped her. Once again dropping the spell, Bellatrix walked over to Severus and kicked him over onto his back.

"Get up. Get up and fight, you coward." She commanded with another kick. She was not going to go away and she would not let him withdraw.

Summoning all of his strength he pulled himself up onto his knees before shakily getting to his feet. With his nostrils flaring in anger, he stared her down through his long mane of hair for a full minute.

Bellatrix flicked her dark curls over a shoulder and summoned Severus' wand from where it had fallen on the ground. Taking a half step back she dropped into a deep bow and presented his wand forward to him.

"Let's play." She said simply as she resumed her full height, before sending a Stupefy curse from her wand.

Severus deflected that hex and the two that followed it, causing Bellatrix to crow in excitement.

"_Serpensortia!_" A long snake fired from the tip of her wand, hissing as it slithered its way up to Severus.

"_Serpentwasi!"_ Severus yelled, sending the snake flying back at full-force into the fire grate.

With a flick of her wand, Bellatrix sent a table lamp hurtling for Severus' head and in turn he cast the reducto spell, causing the object to fragment mid-air and shower him in harmless shards.

"_RELASHIO_!" Severus yelled, for the first time casting a hex directly at Bellatrix, as opposed to simply using protective charms. Sparks flew from the tip of his wand as a blast of heat erupted from it burning everything in its path.

She was quick with her defense but the force of the spell threw Bellatrix backwards across the room, her small body slamming into the opposite wall. She lay motionless on the floor for a moment before stirring, her eyes locking with his.

"Well, well, well, my little prince. It seems we can do magic." Bellatrix cackled as she got back to her feet. Picking her way through the debris scattered over the floor, she just smirked at Severus as she departed the room.

Severus' whole body was seething. Perspiring from the duel, his hair clung to his forehead and his chest raised and dropped heavily with each ragged breath he took. He had never felt so much hatred coursing through his body before, and yet at the same time the duel had drained him from numerous pent-up emotions which he had bottled up his entire life. Despite its intensity, he found the pain to be oddly liberating as it motivated him to take a stand.

He barely made it two steps before collapsing with exhaustion onto an armchair in the middle of the common room, each of his muscles seized up from the hexes flung at him.

It was several hours later when Severus was reawaken by the giggling of first years. He cracked an eye to see two first year girls leaning right over the top of him. They turned and ran the moment they saw he was awake, pointing and laughing at him.

Severus caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the polished flooring. Bright pink makeup had been carved over his eyelids and lipstick dragged across his lips, a shocking contrast to the pale pigmentation of his skin. Without hesitation, he drew his wand from his sleeve and cast a leg-locking curse around he offending pair, causing not only their legs to bind together, but for each of them to be bound to the other, as if by an invisible rope.

Stunned the first years gaped at the senior who had always been pegged as a pushover, as he pulled himself up from the chair and hobbled into the bathroom, the heavy door locking behind him.

Severus pulled his robe off and eased his shirt over his head.

"_Tergeo_," he used the cleaning spell to remove the makeup before looking down over his body. In general spells do not cause scarring or bruising, so the relatively normal tone of his skin was far from the pain he felt. He gently lowered himself into the bath and with the water as hot as he could tolerate, he let the warmth sink into his muscles and relieve him from some of the pain he knew he would have to endure for several days.

* * *

_A/N: Thank you to anyone who is still reading Change is in the Air. My apologies for the lack of updates but you would not believe the size of my course-load at uni this semester. A splash of inspiration during a study break is to thank for this most recent post which surprisingly came together relatively quickly when I had a moment to spare. I'm nearing the mid-year break now, and am getting so close to a part of this story which I have had planned (and half written!) since way back in chapter two, so with any luck after my exams, I'll be able to tie up those few chapters with relative ease._

_Thank you for reading, feel free to review - it'll make my day :)_

_ Charlotte_


	13. I've got her

_The first complete draft of Change in the Air is officially complete! I am in the progress of the mother of all edits, (which may include adding a scene here or there) but intend to be uploading each of the remaining chapters at regular intervals - I would like to aim for one a week but am also working on some original pieces so will see how I go. _

___This chapter is dedicated to Manandit and their sister, who, after all this time have come across my beloved Changes and enjoyed reading it. I only hope I still have some of my old readers still around, and may gain some new ones._

_Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.  
~ CannS xx_

_P.S. It's been a while since I've used this... PM me if you know how to turn html script off so I can read these previews and edit properly! Is it a Mac thing..?_

**CHAPTER TWELVE: "I've got her."**

Amelia knew it was too good to last, but after a day of privacy, nearly all the students in Hogwarts had caught a report on the wizarding wireless divulging the details about the attack on her father and his team of aurors. On her way down to breakfast she had been approached by no less than six people, giving her their sympathies or digging for dirt. Once in the dining hall, she sought shelter between Lily and Remus as she tried to hide from all of the students' stares. She recognized a first year Hufflepuff receiving similarly unwanted attention and remembered the boy's mother worked with her father. In contrast, Billy Pepskinsy, a Ravenclaw whose grandfather was involved in the attack, was basking in the attention received from his peers.

"Gah! Muggle cleaning!" Cherie spat with obvious distaste, examining her broken fingernails as she joined the group. Her final detention came at 5am that morning requiring three hours scrubbing the dungeon floors on her hands and knees.

Without looking up from editing her Herbology essay, Lily responded to the unspoken request and charmed Cherie's nails back to their usual manicured state.

"Thanks. We've got a free period now, right?" Cherie stated more than asked, as she grabbed an apple from the large fruit bowl in the centre of the table.

"Uh huh." Lily confirmed, scratching out a spelling mistake.

"Brilliant, I'm going for a soak in the bath. See you guys in Potions." She finished, leaving the dining room as the school owls swooped overhead and showered the four house tables in mail.

Ignoring the fluttering of feathers surrounding her, Lily continued her study before she felt a sharp pain in her leg as someone kicked her under the table. Her gaze spun to Sirius who was sitting opposite her. "What was that for?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes reproachfully and gently shook his head before subtly nodding back across the table. Looking to where he gestured, Lily saw Amelia with her face buried in Remus' shoulder. In response to Lily's confused expression, Remus handed her the Daily Prophet and continued to run his hand in comforting circles over Amelia's back.

The cover declared 'Lambeth Leads Aurors to Ambush' over a picture of Amelia's unconscious father and team being treated by medi-wizards amidst the remains of a small suburban street.

Promptly, Lily turned her attention to Amelia. "Come on Mel, let's go back up to the dorm."

"Uh, Lily?" James interrupted. "We have to meet with Dumbledore now, remember?"

"Go." Remus said quietly. "I've got her."

Lily looked torn, but had no choice. "We won't be long." She promised before warily getting up from the table and leaving with James in search of the Headmaster.

Amelia self-consciously pulled away from Remus and wiped at the tears staining her cheeks as she quickly glanced at the people staring at her and gossiping behind their newspapers. "I've got to get out of here."

"Do you want me to take you back up to the dorm?"

"No, I need to get out." Amelia said decisively, racking her mind for somewhere to go. "Hagrid. I'm going to see Hagrid. You coming with?" She looked to Remus, her eyes red-rimmed and lashes darkened by tears.

"Sure." He agreed with a friendly smile, getting up from the table.

The cold autumn weather had a wintry feel about it this morning as dark clouds lined the skies whilst Amelia and Remus headed down to Hagrid's hut with Sirius and Peter in tow. Amelia walked briskly, hoping her purposefulness would leave all of her concerns and emotions behind.

Approaching Hagrid's front door Amelia reached her hand forward, but before she could knock on the large wooden frame, the door swung open startling the people on each side of it.

"What're you doin' 'ere?" Hagrid asked, taken aback as he walked into the four teenagers on his doorstep.

"We have a free period this morning and thought we'd come and visit," Amelia answered.

"Well, sorry, bu' I'm jus' leavin'." He placed a tatty worn suitcase on the front step with an equally tattered pink umbrella before distractedly bustling back into his hut.

Amelia peered into the room after him and saw that he was knelt in the corner talking to a pile of blankets. "Is everything okay, Hagrid?"

"Tis Fang." He sighed. Hearing his name, the dog responded with a weak whimper emerging from the folds in the blankets. "He's not well, yeh see. I can't fix 'im, so I'm taking 'im to Kalecia Weaver. 'er 'ole family were potions masters, goin' back 'undreds of years. She'll be able ter fix 'im."

"She certainly does have an amazing reputation," Remus agreed, knowing how his family had tried and tried to source wolfsbane potion from her. "But she lives deep in the mountains, it would be at least a two day hike from here."

"Tha's why I 'ave to go, now."

"How long will you be gone?" Amelia asked as Zell flew down from the rafters in a flurry of blue and landed in her arms.

"A week per'aps?" Hagrid said scooping up the Fang-bundle in his arms and turning back to them. His small black eyes went wide seeing the blue radafemia crawling over Amelia. "I forgot abou' Zell! She's too lil' to come with me."

"Do you want me to look after her?" Amelia offered. "It'll be no hassle."

"Could yeh?" His face lit up gratefully as he carried Fang out the door and they all followed him outside. Hagrid gave Amelia care instructions for Zell while Sirius locked the hut after them and passed Hagrid his suitcase and umbrella.

"We'll come and see you when you get back." Remus said wishing him luck, and half wondering if he could join Hagrid in his journey incase the potions mistress happened to have any of the rare wolfsbane potion to spare.

"Travel safe." Amelia concluded their brief interaction as Hagrid turned and began trudging towards the front gates, a small suitcase and umbrella in one hand, and a giant dog slung over his shoulder.

As Hagrid left, Zell flew out of Amelia's arms and onto Sirius' shoulder.

"What in the name of Merlin is that thing, anyway?" Peter asked, staring curiously at the delicate transparent wings cascading from the tiny ball of fluff that was Zell's torso.

"It's one of those rare Radafemia, right?" Sirius looked to Amelia who nodded. "I didn't think they existed out of legend."

Amelia shrugged. "It is Hagrid. If anyone were to have a near-mythical creature, it would be him."

"Good point." Sirius nodded.

"It looks a bit stupid, if you ask me." Peter scoffed.

"Well then it's a good job no one did ask you." Remus responded.

"But look at it; stupid scrawny blue pom-pom, with huge boggling eyes!" At this, Zell sharply flew straight up in the air before swooping down on Peter. Instantaneously he squatted down and began swatting his hands in the air before sprinting toward the castle with Zell chasing close behind and the others followed, laughing as the distraction broke through the dark cloud that had shrouded that morning.

* * *

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" James was the first to break the silence as he and Lily waited for Dumbledore in the headmaster's expansive office.

"No more than you do." Lily sighed, tight lipped.

"Okay, what's wrong?" James said, fed up of getting the cold shoulder.

Lily turned to James, her green eyes shooting daggers at him. "Oh, as if you don't know?"

"No, I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Of all the boys in this school, I still can't believe you are head boy. I can't believe I have to work with you."

"Hey!" James snapped sharply. "I didn't ask for this! If it were up to me, Remus would be the one sitting here with you. We both know he fits the profile much better. I don't know what on earth Dumbledore was thinking either, but I'm here and you're just going to have to deal with that."

The room lapsed back into silence moments before they heard the great stone staircase outside grinding upwards toward the office. Loudly, it came to a stop at the heavy wooden door which opened of its own accord, presenting Professor Dumbledore who swept into the room in his navy robes. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and a high-backed chair materialized in front of the head students that he proceeded to slowly lower himself onto.

"Did you have the oatmeal at breakfast? That drizzle of honey was ingenious, wasn't it?" Dumbledore asked the pair.

"I had the eggs…" James said, casting a sidelong glance at Lily who had her arms crossed firmly across her chest, clearly not warming to being in the same room as James. "Uh, sir, is that why you called us here?"

Dumbledore took a deep sigh and all lightheartedness melted from his expression. "Not precisely, but very well, let's get to the point. Without making either of you unduly concerned, I am becoming increasingly worried about these terrorists that call themselves 'death eaters'. The Minister is insisting that the Ministry have matters under control, I however do not see the harm in taking further precautions to increase the safety of my students in and out of the castle."

"What do you mean, Professor?" James asked alarmed. "They could come into the castle?"

"I have reason to believe that these death eaters will not be approaching Hogwarts, or Hogsmeade any time soon. But I will not be able to forever protect my students on these grounds. I am sure all of my students have high ambitions and when you follow these dreams I want to know that I have done everything in my power to prepare you for the dangers that may await you in this world."

James and Lily exchanged a worried glance. Neither of them had even considered these recent attacks meant that they may be in danger when they graduated in a mere few months' time.

"I have called in a friend of mine in to teach an advanced defence against the dark arts course. The classes will be largely practical, consisting of numerous charms, duelling and whatever else he chooses to teach. I hope to have these classes commencing next Monday.

"Unfortunately, the Ministry is refusing to support this and it cannot be compulsory nor contribute to your final grades. However, I was hoping that you may help in encouraging student turn out?"

"Of course, Professor," Lily asserted. "I am more than happy to help out."

"I'm sure I can find people keen to come." James said, knowing that it would not be a challenge to get Sirius' attendance after a mention of the word 'duelling'.

"Brilliant!" Dumbledore's face suddenly lit up and he swiftly crossed the room and returned with a thick silver folder. "Now, onto something more enjoyable."

"What's this?" Lily asked, cautiously opening the folder as he handed it to her.

"Some of the teachers have suggested we should have a Christmas ball to lift our spirits amidst these dreadful current affairs." He explained as James peered over Lily's shoulder and they flipped past pages of menu drafts and past decoration plans. "Social events are usually arranged by the head students, but you may of course enlist the help of your friends or other prefects if you wish. All of the information you need is in that folder, and you are to liaise with Professors McGonagall or Flitwick if you have any issues."

"So, we've got to work together, to arrange everything?" Lily confirmed. Until now she had not been forced to work together with James on anything and they had been splitting their duties clearly down the middle with no interaction with one another.

"Yes." Dumbledore answered simply with a twinkle in his eye. "I chose you both as head students for a reason and I feel that this is an ideal opportunity for you both to prove that you actually can work together." He placed a clear emphasis on this last word, demonstrating to them both that he had not missed their avoidance and unwillingness to work together.

"Yes, yes of course." Lily said, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Now, I believe that is all. You may go off to prepare for your first class now." Dumbledore concluded, showing them both to the door.

James was half way down the stairs when he suddenly stopped and Lily slammed into the back of him.

"I think I dropped something, you go on." James said, moving aside to let her pass before running back upstairs.

Dumbledore was in the corner of the room, feeding a bright red phoenix out of the palm of his hand. "Yes James? Is there something I can help you with?" He said without turning around.

James wrung his hands. He had had this question on his mind for a long time yet still found he had no words.

"Well," James began. "With all due respect, Sir, why did you choose me as head boy?"

Dumbledore turned to James, a smile crossing his face.

"Because, I believe in you, James Potter. I believe that you can, and will, do great things." He said sincerely.

"Excuse me for being blunt, but Remus is great now. How could you not have chosen him?"

"Undoubtedly, Remus is indeed hard working and courteous. An all around model student," Dumbledore agreed. "However, of all of my students, James, it is you who I believe will need the skills of leadership. He is not a leader, James. You are."

James could not have been more taken aback by what he was hearing.

"I wanted you to experience and explore a role of leadership, beyond adolescent pranks, before you leave the bounds of this school to confront what awaits you in this world." Dumbledore lowered a hand gently on James shoulder. "I know this answer may not satisfy you now, but I hope with time, you will understand why I have placed you in this role alongside Miss Evans. For now, I just ask that you trust this old fool's judgement."

James' voice caught in his throat as he racked his brain for a response. "Thank you," was all he could get out before making a hasty retreat from the headmaster's office.


	14. Face the consequences

_Double update, just to prove I do have chapters ready to roll :)_

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: "Face the Consequences."**

Lily waited in the dungeons outside her next class, for Amelia and Cherie to show up. Slumping down against the stone wall beneath a fiery lantern she opened the large folder into her lap.

The first page contained a list of ball traditions at Hogwarts, but Lily could not bring herself to read past the first point before students began to fill the corridor. She kept reading back over it incredulously, as though expecting that somehow its meaning would change.

"What you reading?" Cherie's voice broke Lily's concentration as she dropped down next to her.

"Dumbledore wants us to organize a school ball." Lily said flatly. "Look at what I'm expected to do." She added, pointing to the top of the list.

"'_It is traditional for the head students to open the ball with a snowball dance'_" Cherie read aloud, "You have to dance with Potter?"

Lily nodded and took the folder back.

Cherie giggled and proceeded to mock her with a little chant. "You have to dance with Potter, you have to dance with Potter."

Narrowing her eyes, Lily hit Cherie on the head with the folder. "Be quiet, or I swear, the decorations will be orange!"

"Why would you do that?" She said aghast.

Lily raised her eyebrow, extending a challenge for Cherie to call her bluff.

"Okay, I'll be nice." Cherie tried to replace her amused smile with an angelic look. "So, do I get to help plan it?"

"As if you were getting out of helping," Lily laughed and the girls began to flip through the folder, with Cherie ripping out tasteless colour swatches and contact details for bands as old as Merlin himself.

The class was already filing into the classroom when Amelia, Remus, Sirius and Peter came running breathlessly down the corridor to join the other students.

"Where have you been?" Cherie whispered to Amelia with a curious look to the three boys, as they took their usual table in the classroom and began to pull out their books.

Amelia took a moment to regain her breath before responding. "We went down to Hagrid's. Fang is sick, so he's had to go away for help."

"Is he okay?" Lily asked concerned as they each took their seats.

Nodding, Amelia continued. "I think he will be, but I'm going to look after Zell. We just had to run her up to the dorm before class."

"How long's he…" Cherie began before she was cut off by Slughorn.

"Why Miss Burke, have you yet finished your sleeping draught?"

"Uh," she faltered at being called upon. "No, Professor."

"And do you wish for Miss Lambeth to face the consequences when she takes your improperly prepared sleeping draught?" He asked haughtily.

"No, Professor."

"Then you will kindly cease talking and listen carefully to the following instructions." He finished sternly before explaining the next steps in the preparation of a sleeping draught.

Two hours later the class filed out smelling faintly of sopophorous beans and followed by a blue haze of steam that lingered just below the ceiling. Many of them were yawning lethargically due to the heady scent that hung in the air.

"I'd better go and talk to Evans, so we can work out details about the first ball meeting." James said reluctant to receive another outburst from the fiery Gryffindor, but feeling obligated. "Moony, do you want to come? Dumbledore said prefects can help."

"Sure thing, I can come and mediate."

"Thanks," James smiled sheepishly as they headed towards the girls.

"Hey, guys!" Sirius called after them. "Not tonight, we won't want to be late." He reminded them of the approaching full moon, knowing they'd be back in the shrieking shack that evening.

James turned around but continued to move backwards through the crowd. "Good point, I'd forgotten about tonight. I'll try for the weekend instead." He added before once again pursuing Lily.

As James and Remus disappeared, Sirius stumbled and swore as someone roughly grabbed at his shoulder.

"Get your hands off me!" Sirius spun around and was surprised to see Severus staring him down with an accusatory stare. Wildly shoving Severus' hand from his shoulder he snapped "What's your problem, Snivelly?"

Severus stood his ground unflinchingly, mere inches from Sirius's face. "What's tonight?" He said between clenched teeth.

Sirius scoffed. "That's none of your business."

"What's Potter hiding?"

"Who said he's hiding anything?"

Severus' top lip curled up into a snarl. "You think I've failed to notice? Ever since we got back to school, I have seen Potter and Lupin sneak out of the castle after dark every few weeks, only to return at breakfast the next day."

"What have you been doing? Stalking them?"

"It's been going on long enough now. I will get to the bottom of this and he'll finally be gone, for good."

"You're going to get James and Remus kicked out?" Peter asked as Sirius snorted a laugh.

"You mark my words." Severus' frown deepened. "He does not deserve to be here and, one way or another, he'll be gone."

"What are you going to do? Follow us everywhere we go? Well you can start now if you like, we're just off to lunch." Sirius laughed. "Come on, Wormtail, let's move slowly so Snivellus doesn't lose us."

As the pair ascended the staircase to the dining hall, Severus spun on his heel and swept further into the dungeons towards the Slytherin common room with his white-knuckled fist clasped tightly around his wand.

* * *

"How's your sleeping draught coming along, Prongs?" Remus asked James that evening as he stepped out of the low tunnel and into the shrieking shack.

"It's so blue it's nearly black?" He replied unsurely. "I'm pretty sure anyone who tried it would be out cold for a good six months afterwards."

"I'm not testing it then!" Sirius laughed, hanging the invisibility cloak over the back of the door in the shrieking shack, before tipping a large brown rat out onto a dusty mantle above an unused fireplace. "How about you, Wormtail?"

Peter gave an indignant squeak and bit the tip of Sirius' finger.

"Maybe not." Sirius chuckled.

"Perhaps I should feed it to Snivellus," James joked. "No one would miss him if he were sleeping in the hospital wing for six months."

"Oh! You should have heard him after potions!" Sirius exclaimed, launching into his earlier encounter with Severus.

Remus' mouth was gaping wide in horror as he stared at his friend. "You essentially challenged him to follow us here. How could you be so stupid, Sirius?"

"He wouldn't have the guts," Sirius scoffed. "And even if he did, a run-in with a werewolf might just teach him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."

"James!" Remus said, panicked and powerless as the full moon slowly emerged from behind a cloud. A wide moon-beam travelled swiftly across the knotted wooden floorboards, bathing Remus in its light.

"Don't worry, Moony. I'll make sure Snape's still in the castle." He assured him as the werewolf transformation began to take place. He then turned to Sirius who had already changed into his animagus form, ready for the werewolf. "Stay!"

With that, James turned to rush from the room and found himself face-to-face with Severus.

"Severus! Run!" James commanded, but Severus was transfixed to the spot, unable to believe his own eyes. Remus' hands morphing into paws with sharp claws and his body sprouting with hair before the boy dropped to the ground in wolf form. Sensing human flesh near by, Remus turned to James and Severus, his lips pulling back in a rabid snarl.

The large black dog lunged at the werewolf's side and the two hounds flew back to the opposite side of the room. The dog ran back to the door and pushed it closed with his large paws just before the werewolf pounced and the two boys heard a loud yelp coming from the room. The human scent was driving Remus insane and he was determined to go through Sirius to get to his feed.

"SNAPE! MOVE!" James yelled, drawing his wand and sending an electric shock towards him. "NOW!"

Remus tried to bust his way through the door and with the heavy banging, Severus did not need telling again. He and James sprinted down the stairs and threw themselves through the small entrance to the tunnel that led back to the whomping willow. They didn't stop running until they reached the front foyer outside of the dining hall.

"Were. Wolf?" Severus gasped between breaths as he held a stitch in his side. "A werewolf?"

"Severus, please." James pleaded imploringly. "Keep it down, no one can know about this. No one was hurt, and once he's in wolf form, he's too big to escape out off the shrieking shack. No one needs to know. Please, Severus."

"You're out of here, Potter." Snape sneered. "Colluding with a werewolf? Too bad Black didn't go out there with you. I'd love to get the trio disbanded."

"Severus!" James called out in a last ditch attempt to get Severus to stop as he was en route to the headmaster's office. Sirius and Peter were in the clear; they went out to the shrieking shack under the invisibility cloak, and he didn't care what consequences he might have to face, but he could not let Severus ruin Remus' life. Dumbledore allowed Remus' attendance at Hogwarts as long as precautions were in place to keep students safe, but now he could be expelled from Hogwarts just months from graduation and James could not allow that. "No! Severus!" James shouted after him.

"What is all of this commotion?" Professor McGonagall said sternly as she emerged from behind a heavy drapery that hid the door to the staffroom. She was in a tartan dressing gown with a frilled collar and had a steaming cup of tea clasped in her hands.

"I was just looking for Professor Dumbledore, Professor." Severus said with an evil glint in his eyes as he glanced to James.

"Very well," she said suspiciously. "He left just moments ago to return to his office. However, I will remind you both that you have 15 minutes until curfew, and I expect you to both be in your dormitories by then."

"Thank you, Professor." Severus said before moving off briskly towards Dumbledore's office.

James forced a reassuring smile in McGonagall's direction as he passed her on the stairs before running after Severus. By the time he caught up, Severus was already climbing the stone gargoyle staircase that led to Dumbledore's office. Severus sharply rapped three times on the knotted doorframe and James reached him just as the door swung open.

James threw a last worried look at Severus who immediately approached Professor Dumbledore and lunged into the tale. Without lying a single word he magnified all of the negatives – Remus is secretly a werewolf, Sirius had sent Severus out there knowing he could have been killed and James was somehow connected to the conspiracy.

Listening attentively, Dumbledore nodded patiently as Severus continued to rant.

"I am pleased to hear that you are safe, Severus."

"Yes, but I could have been bitten."

"Which is why students are forbidden to go out of grounds. And as the shrieking shack is private property, Master Lupin's current arrangements keep everyone out of harm's way."

"But, he should be expelled, surely! He was thirsting for my blood!"

"I do not believe that Master Lupin has ever done anything to warrant expulsion from this school. In fact, he is a model student."

"But surely what he _is_ should be reason enough to get rid of him!" Severus protested.

"At Hogwarts, we will not allow discrimination, Master Snape," Dumbledore said evenly. "Everyone deserves the right to lead their lives like everyone else, do you not agree?"

Severus sat in stunned silence while James marvelled at the direction the conversation had taken. After hearing Severus talk, he had trouble seeing a positive slant on the situation himself.

"So, you're not going to do anything about the fact that I was nearly killed? What about Potter sneaking out of grounds with him?"

"He is a senior prefect, who was in before curfew." Dumbledore stated looking to the grandfather clock behind his desk as it chimed 10 o'clock.

"Right," Dumbledore said decisively. "I suggest you boys both go back to your dorms and try to get some sleep, it has been a very full night for you. I will have the house-elves send cocoa to your rooms. Good night boys."

"Good night, sir." James and Severus said in unison as they were both escorted from the room in a state of bewilderment.

James had been prepared for the worst and it did not come. It was nothing short of a miracle.

Two steps ahead of him was Severus. He was fuming, his white knuckles going whiter, as his hands curled up into fists. Without warning, his fist flew into the front of his robes and turning to face James he drew his wand. James froze at the sight of it.

"I don't care what that crack pot thinks, I'm onto you and your... 'friends'." He spat the last word. "I know what Black wanted to happen tonight."

"I don't know what you're on about." James said holding his hands up. "We didn't make you follow Remus and I out there."

In one swift movement, Severus shot a curse at James. The curse cut through James' cheek and ricocheted off the wall behind him.

"Who's there?" They heard the familiar wheeze and shuffle of the caretaker around the corner.

"One day. One day, you'll mess up, and I'll be there." Severus promised before disappearing down the stairwell, leaving James holding his hand against his now bleeding cheek.

* * *

_I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter - more is on the way! Please review (I will return all reviews) as I would love some feedback_

_~ CannS_

_xx_


	15. When you're not human

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: "When you're not human."**

It was Friday afternoon and the bright autumn sun baked the rolling green lawn which was littered with groups of students playing or simply basking in these rare, warm rays. There were students talking and laughing along the edge of the lake, and the crack of a cricket bat echoed around the Hogwarts grounds as muggle-borns introduced young witches and wizards to the muggle sport.

Seeking somewhere quieter, Cherie, Lily and Amelia rounded the greenhouses and found a secluded spot in the garden with Zell flitting happily above their heads. She had been shut in the castle the last few days with the persistent rain and was making the most of this nice weather.

The trio sat in a circle, stretched out under the warmth of the sun. Cherie pulled parchment and quill from her bag and lay on her stomach, on the soft grass. "I can't believe McGonagall gave me lines, again! I was only a little bit late!" She complained as she set the quill to parchment and began to write the repetitive sentence.

Lily looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "A little?"

"What? I was only 15 minutes late, today!" Cherie protested.

"Just be thankful she was in a good mood and didn't send you for another detention with Filch." Amelia said as Zell perched on her shoulder.

Cherie paused to examine her manicured fingernails and screwed up her nose. "Okay, remind me I have to be on time on Monday!"

"Maybe you should tell Phoenix that, instead." Lily gave her a meaningful look, as Zell lunged from her perch on top of Amelia and pounced on a daisy in Lily's shadow.

Smiling, Cherie shrugged. "He can just be so distracting, sometimes!"

"Still, making out in the third floor alcove when you should be in transfiguration, two weeks in a row, did that really sound like a good idea?" Lily asked rhetorically. "I think McGonagall's bun's a bit too tight to think that consisted of an adequate educational experience."

"So, Lily, speaking of loose-bun educational experiences, how's the secret admirer?" Cherie looked at her smugly.

Her cheeks flushed crimson. "I, uh…"

"Yes, Lily." Cherie smiled proudly. "I heard that owl at the window this morning."

"Owl? There was an owl?" Amelia asked in surprise. "I didn't think you'd heard from him in ages?"

Lily shrugged bashfully.

"So…?" Cherie prompted. "What was it this time? Flowers? Chocolate?"

"Ooo, another poem?" Amelia asked

"A lock of his hair?"

"Eww gross!" Lily protested. Seeing that they were not going to give in any time soon, she pulled her satchel closer and rummaged inside of it for the pale blue note.

A grin spread over Cherie's face as she abandoned her lines and snatched the note from Lily's grasp. Clearing her throat, she read it aloud to Amelia.

"Aww, that's beautiful!" Amelia exclaimed when she had finished reading.

Cherie on the other hand screwed her nose up and handed the note back to Lily. "Stalker much?"

"I think it's sweet!" Amelia defended the unknown author. "And romantic!"

"I just think, if he likes her so much he should just come out and say it." Cherie shrugged.

"What do you think, Lily? Is he a romantic mystery? Or a stalking perv?"

Lily shrugged truthfully and avoided their gaze by watching Zell play in the garden. "I guess I'd like to know who it is…"

"See, I told you!" Cherie exclaimed in triumph. "He should just tell her."

"But…"

"But?" Amelia prompted, hoping she would not be proved completely wrong.

"But, no one has ever said anything so nice about me." Lily confessed as her cheeks flushed pink.

"And, I told you," Amelia stuck her tongue out at Cherie.

Another crack of a cricket bat echoed around the grounds followed by the smashing of glass as a ball crashed through the roof of one of the green houses. The immediate wailing of premature mandrake roots sounded as their pots were knocked from the potting table.

The girls scrambled to their feet and Zell, sensing fun, flew up to Amelia's shoulder. Secretly pleased to have an early end to the conversation, Lily ran off to round up the responsible students in her capacity as head girl, whilst Amelia and Cherie drew their wands and started mending the damage done as Professor Sprout bustled out of the far greenhouse, handing them each a pair fluffy pink earmuffs before they entered the shattered greenhouse to the intense shrieks of the mandrakes.

* * *

That evening saw the first ball committee meeting and James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were walking four abreast down the road into Hogsmeade where they were to meet other prefects and senior students to begin planning the ball.

Remus' mind was a million miles away as they strolled through the town, as it had been since Severus had found out his darkest secret only days before. He was on constant tenterhooks that Severus was going to reveal his true identity, out-casting him from society and destroying his entire life.

As the group approached the Three Broomsticks, Severus came out of a nearby shop, pushing a small silver box into his pocket. He smirked across the cobbled street and stared at them as they moved towards the front door.

"Come on, let's just ignore him and go inside," James said deliberately avoiding eye contact and opening the door to the small thatched inn. The laceration in his cheek still stung, a tingling reminder of his fight with Severus which he had hid from Remus. Remus did not need to know the truth and he was not about to give Severus the opportunity to tell him.

"Hey!" Severus shouted out. "Lupin!"

Remus felt his stomach drop and thought this was it, the moment that Severus unveiled him for what he truly was, in the middle of the main street, in front of several passers by.

"Come on, Moony. You don't have to listen to him. Go inside and we'll send him packing." Sirius said smoothly, his hand on Remus' elbow, steering him towards the doorway.

Remus shrugged Sirius off and locking his jaw he faced Severus bravely, embracing his destiny as an outcast.

Instead of a grand public announcement, Severus strode across the street daringly and locked glares with Remus. "I just thought you'd like to know, I'm pretty sure Rosmerta has a 'No shirt, no shoes, no werewolves' policy."

"Alright, shove off, Snape." Sirius stepped in front of Remus, giving Severus a sharp nudge.

"Hey!" Severus held his hands up mockingly. "Don't shoot the messenger, the truth hurts! Especially, when you're not human."

"Severus," James said coolly. "That's enough. You heard what Dumbledore said the other night."

"And you heard what I said the other night." Severus stated glancing at James and snorting in derision when his eyes fell upon the gash he had left on his cheek. "I see you got my message loud and clear."

Remus looked at the deep gash on James' cheek as if for the first time, as the realization of truth dawned on him. He could not believe he had been convinced that it was a mere shaving accident.

"Snivvelly, scram." Sirius said with a snarl as he stepped forward and crossed his arms forcefully over his chest with James and Peter joining on either side of him.

Clearly outnumbered, Severus snorted. "See you around, flea bag." Severus finished with a final glance at Remus before he pushed through the group and began to head back up the street.

"Nearly being eaten has sure given Snivvelly a lot of confid…" Peter started before Sirius cut him off with an elbow to the ribs.

"Come on," James forced a smile and injected some enthusiasm into his voice as he changed the subject. "Butter-beers all around?"

Whilst James and Peter went up to the bar to order, Sirius selected a large booth in the back of the pub. Remus slid silently in behind him and subconsciously traced his fingertip over the grain's pattern in the heavy wooden table.

"Come on, Remus," Sirius lowered his voice so as not to be overheard in the hubbub of the inn. "Snape's just a berk. You can't take anything he says seriously."

"He's right though." Remus said, his gaze boring a hole in the table. "I'm not human."

"What? Remus, no! Of course you are!"

"'No shirt, no shoes, no werewolves'," Remus recited Severus' line. "That's my life. There's no room for werewolves in the human world."

"Remus, listen to yourself! Of course you're human! Just because you have a 'furry little problem', it doesn't make you any less of a human."

"It's more than just a 'furry little problem', I'm no better than an animal!" Remus insisted emotionally.

"Okay, Remus, what about me?" Sirius turned the tables, looking him square in the eyes. "Once a month, under the full moon, I too transform into a member of the wolf family. Does that make me any less human?"

"No, but you're an…"

Sirius cut him off before he could finish protesting. "Does it make me any less human to have four paws and get fleas?"

"No, but…"

"No, no 'but's. Despite the tail and the fleas, I'm no less human. And do you know why? It's because I know who I am on the inside, and I will always be me inside. I will always change back to who I am. Remus, as long as you don't lose sight of who you are, you will always be human."

Remus forced a weak, but genuine smile as the others joined them.

"Prepare to be amazed." Peter said, practically panting.

"What are you on about, Wormtail?" Sirius asked.

"James just introduced me to the new barmaid, she's…" He squeaked the last word as the waitress approached their table with a tray of drinks. She was in her late teens and had long blonde curls cascading down her back to her waist. The bodice of her dress was fitted with flowing pink skirt and an embroidered pattern around the edge of her sleeves.

"Your butter-beers, boys."

Peter's eyes nearly fell out of his head as she leant forward to place the drinks on the table.

"Thanks, Paige." James smiled. "By the way, I'd like you to meet Sirius and Remus. Guys, this is Madame Rosmerta's niece, Paige."

"Pleased to meet you both," she said with a warm smile.

"So, what brings you here, Paige?" Sirius enquired.

"Aunt Rosie has given me a job for a few months. I'm saving up to do some travel."

"Well, we hope you enjoy it here." Remus said.

"Oh, I'm sure I will." She replied with a subtle glance at James and back to Sirius, completely overlooking Peter who sat between them, though he was obliviously entranced by her breasts. "Anyway, is there anything else I can get you?"

"Actually," James said, "we're meeting a group of people in a few minutes, could you please bring each one of them a butter-beer when they arrive?"

"Sure thing," Paige smiled obligingly.

"Just charge it to F. Flitwick's account."

"Nice try," Paige laughed. "I was in enough trouble with Aunty Rosie last week when I charged A. Filch's account last week! I'm not falling for it again!"

"Damn," James chuckled and pulled a few galleons out of his pocket. "It was nice while it lasted, but this should cover both tabs."

"Okay," Sirius looked at James as Paige walked away, "now I understand why last weekend you were up at the bar every five minutes and took forever to bring anything back with you!"

"I just wanted to make her feel welcome," James flashed a grin, before noting Remus' neutral demeanor. "Are you going to be okay?"

Remus took a moment before giving a nod and looking up to see Lily, Cherie and Amelia walking into the inn.

"Evening, Lily," James said as she took the seat next to Remus and Cherie sat on her other side. "Cherie, Amelia." He acknowledged each in turn as the other guys simply said, "Hi," in unison.

"Are you not stopping, Mel?" Remus asked, noting she hadn't sat down.

"No, I've got a train to catch. I'm going to St Mungos to see Dad."

"What time do you want us to come and meet you, on Sunday, Mel?" Cherie asked as Paige returned with another couple of butter beers and left them at the table.

"You won't be able to. McGonagall said I can catch the last train back, but it pulls in after curfew."

Cherie scoffed at the idea of sticking to curfew. "So? We'll just sneak out, it's not like there's a dragon at the exit."

"You know McGonagall's watching you; if you get caught again you'll be on detention for a month." Amelia pointed out. "It's only a short walk back."

"I do have tutoring with Flitwick, which by the way, so sucks you won't be there for!" Lily said. "But I'm not sure I'm happy about you walking back alone."

"Honestly, it's fine. The train pulls in at 10.30; I'll be in the castle and in bed by 11. No biggie."

"Okay, but we're waiting up for you." Lily promised.

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Fine, if it makes you happy."

"Yes, it does."

"I'll see you when I get back anyway. Bye." Amelia added to the guys before leaving the inn as the others began to arrive.


	16. The world is generally a shitty place

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: "The World is Generally a Shitty Place"**

At ten o'clock that Sunday evening when most were heading to bed, Sirius was rifling through the boys' dorm, pulling cloaks and books out left, right and centre. He pulled the cushions out from the bay windows and even braved the pile of dirty laundry that the house-elves were yet to collect. He turned out every pocket and shook loose pages from every book, all in the search for a singular piece of parchment. James, Remus, Peter and himself had bewitched it years before so that with the simple incantation 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' a complete map of Hogwarts would appear before them with little footprints labeling the position and movements of anyone within the Hogwarts' grounds. Tonight he had to get out of the castle and he was not going to make it out alone.

Remus opened the adjoining bathroom door and hesitated in the doorway wearing a large burgundy towel around his waist, his hair still damp from the shower. "Woah, what on earth happened in here?" He asked, taking in the messy state of the room.

Sirius glanced over his shoulder and saw the wake of chaos he had left behind him. "I'll tidy it tomorrow," he promised as got down on all fours and checked under their beds again.

"Why don't you just tell me what you're looking for, I might know where it is." Remus suggested as he dug into the trunk at the foot of his bed for a pair of pyjamas.

"Do you have the map?" Sirius slumped in defeat against the edge of the bed.

Remus shook his head. "I haven't seen it since the full moon."

"Well, that's not helpful!" He exclaimed in agitation.

The door opened again and Peter and James entered the room, each eating straight from a pie dish.

"I got your favourite, Padfoot." Peter said between giant mouthfuls of plum pie, extending a fork to him. "But if you want any, you'd better be quick, coz this is goooooooood."

"You went to the kitchens?" Sirius leapt up from the bed. "Who's got the map?"

"Back pocket." James said as Remus took a spare fork and helped himself to a mouthful of the peach pie.

Sirius grabbed his cloak from the end of the bed and in two strides had snatched the map from James' pocket and began bounding down the stairs, leaving his friends confused and surrounded by a disorganized mess.

Already running late, the map guided Sirius via a detour down the back stairwell to avoid Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat, and double back when the castle's poltergeist was seen breezing through rooms on the third floor. Finally, he made it out of the castle and in the shadows at the edge of the forest, he transfigured into his animagus form and broke into a run, sprinting around the edge of the lake and cutting through the trees towards Hogsmeade. He was approaching the train station just as the last train ground to stop and the few remaining passengers alighted onto the platform.

Sirius was thankful for Padfoot's acute sense of smell as Amelia stepped from the train and even from the other side of the platform he was greeted with her subtle blend of vanilla and honeysuckle. He turned his head in her direction and saw her hair curling loosely, falling from beneath the knitted hat she wore. Two steps off of the train she shuddered against the cool temperature and set her small suitcase down on the platform to turn up the collar on her cloak. After witnessing Lily and Cherie's conversation with Amelia in the Three Broomsticks on Friday, he had not been able to shake from his conscience that she would be walking home from the train station, well after dark, and he could not let her make the trek back to the castle alone. It was only at three a.m. on Saturday morning after deciding to meet Amelia at the station that he could sleep; as he drifted towards unconsciousness, he vowed to accompany her back to the castle, in which ever form she would accept him.

Padding across the platform, Sirius let out a short bark. Looking up, a flash of recognition crossed Amelia's face as she saw him making his way towards her and recalled the large black dog being there the night she found out about her father's accident.

"Hello, where's your master?" she said, bending over to scratch behind the dog's ears and check for a tag. She found he was not wearing a collar and looking around, she could not see anyone who looked like the dog's owner. "What are you doing here?"

Sirius' tail wagged back and forth slowly picking up the handle of Amelia's suitcase in his mouth he offered it to her. Puzzled, she gently patted his back and took her suitcase from him, before turning around and beginning to make her way back to the castle. Diligently Sirius followed along side her, and Amelia paused mid-step in surprise. The large dog also paused and looked back to her expectantly. Amelia began walking again and the dog fell into step beside her. As they left the train station, Amelia was suddenly thankful for the company as she noticed a thick fog wrapped around the barren hills, obscuring everything from sight; the resulting effect was an eerie stillness in the air and countless dark, unidentifiable shadows. She placed a hand on the dog's back and instantly felt more secure, knowing he was there and close to her.

With Amelia's soft, warm hand on his back, Sirius had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach and he knew this is what Remus had been talking about. This odd, radiating warmth had a name. Love. He had fallen for Amelia. Regretting the absurdity of their relationship and the irony that she was the one girl he could not approach, Sirius was distracted by the thought that she, the one person he had ever, truly, felt something for, may never know how he felt. His thoughts were interrupted as Amelia knotted her fingers tighter into the fur on his back and hastened her pace. All of his senses now brought back to the present, Sirius heard the footsteps of someone coming up behind them, steadily closing the gap. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he made out a tall shadow through the thick fog.

Amelia began muttering defensive spells under her breath as she took her hand from Sirius' back and pulled her wand from her robes. There was a sharp right hand turn in the path ahead and Sirius anticipated they only had mere seconds to reach it before their fog-veiled follower was upon them. He counted the steps and as soon as they turned the corner Sirius grabbed Amelia's sleeve in his mouth and pulled her from the path, into the dense forest. She hesitated for a moment before following him off of the track and hiding behind a large tree.

Holding her wand over her chest, Amelia tried to control her breathing as she listened out for their follower. Sirius stood in the clearing next to her, his only give-away the slight sparkle in his eyes as his large black form lay hidden in the shadows.

The steady footsteps came to a stop at the edge of the road where Amelia and Sirius had disappeared. Risking a glance round the trunk of the tree, Amelia saw a tall man standing silently still on the path. He wore a long black cloak and the brim of his hat was tilted down over his sharp and chiseled face. Then, as suddenly as he stopped, the man continued on his journey again.

Amelia and Sirius stayed put for a further five minutes; Sirius stood at attention and Amelia curled up at the base of the tree, both straining their ears, listening out for any sign of movement. Finally, Sirius was satisfied they were once again alone and he picked up her suitcase in his mouth and gently nudged Amelia before picking his way over tree roots, back to the main path. Ten minutes later, they reached the castle gates and once again, Amelia rubbed the large black dog behind his ears.

"You always seem to turn up when I need you most," Amelia said, taking her suitcase from him and walking up the front steps and into the castle.

* * *

After the events of the night before, Amelia had difficulty sleeping as she wondered about the identity of fog-man. The day passed in a sleepy haze as she moved from class to class, first earning Gryffindor ten house points for producing the best sleeping potion in the class, which had turned a pure lavender colour, then later losing ten points in transfiguration as she once again failed to deliver the desired results. The last thing she wanted to do that evening was to attend another class, voluntary at that, but she had promised Lily.

After dinner, Lily, Amelia and Cherie, along with James, Remus, Sirius and Peter, remained behind to prepare the dining hall for the Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts classes Dumbledore had arranged. Lily and James stood back-to-back in the centre of the room and set about facilitating the clearing of their respective halves of the room. They all charmed the dining tables into a stack along the far wall and in the resulting space James conjured a thin foam mat which rolled out the length of the room, whereas Lily's half of the room had little mounds of pillows and beanbags. The head students each turned around and saw the starkly different style of each side of the room, far from representing the teamwork Dumbledore had called for. James immediately conjured a second mat to roll out beneath Lily's pillows and beanbags whilst she levitated half of them to the opposite side of the room.

By 8pm most of the 6th and 7th years had arrived, as well as a smattering of OWL students, ready to extend their practical defense against the dark arts skills. The heavy wooden door to the dining hall swung open and Amelia's stomach plummeted as she recognized the tilted hat sheltering the sharp chiselled lines of the man's jaw and his broad shoulders. It was the fog-man. Her mind raced; he'd come to the castle. Maybe he'd hidden in the bushes and having led her into a false sense of security followed her back.

Then Dumbledore opened the other side of the double doors and walked in alongside fog-man, the two of them laughing like old friends.

"Are you okay?" Cherie asked Amelia, concerned. "You look as pale as the Baron."

Amelia nodded and forced a smile. After her insistence last week that she would be fine walking back alone, she hadn't told the girls about the previous night. Besides, nothing had actually happened.

"Gather here," Dumbledore addressed the students and urged them forward as a hush fell over the room. "It is my pleasure to introduce you all to a good friend of mine, auror, Alistair Moody. He has agreed to stay with us until Christmas break in order to give you intensive hands-on defensive training. I trust that you will whole-heartedly embrace the challenges set before you, and take away important skills to carry with you for life." Dumbledore then handed the class over to Moody and left the hall.

Moody was dressed in pressed khaki's and a plain white shirt with the top button left open. As he passed in front of the group, he rolled his sleeves up revealing a long white scar contrasting his bronzed and weathered forearms. He instantly obtained the attention of most of the boys who admired his brawn and masculine scars, whereas many girls were also drawn to the older man's wild appearance; strong and muscular, yet his clear blue eyes under a disheveled mop of sandy blond hair, held an air of sincerity and caring.

"As you will soon realize, the world is generally a shitty place," he gave an opening statement in a deep, resonate tone. "Regardless of what ministry officials want you to believe, there is always the possibility that one day, some of you, may be put in a position where you will need to protect yourselves, your friends, your family, or even complete strangers. There are numerous dark forces, which are ever present in the world we live in, and you must be prepared. You must be vigilant."

The students hung onto each and every word he said. It was so rare for them to hear an adult talking upfront with them.

"My hope is that none of you will ever need to utilize these skills, but that if you ever do feel threatened you will be able to face the perceived danger head on and not be forced to cower behind a tree." He paused as he said these last words and looked directly at Amelia. "There is a time and a place for hiding; but you will need the confidence to defend yourself when required so that the threat cannot sense your fear." Taking another few steps, Sirius caught Moody's eye and Moody examined him carefully for a moment before pairing the students up; Amelia and Sirius first.

Nearly two hours later everyone had a good grasp on using a range of shield spells. Even in their one-on-one attacks with Moody, they were able to protect themselves from the mild spells he sent towards them. The students began to file back to their dorms as the class finished and the prefects began returning the dining hall to its original state when Moody called Sirius off into a side room that branched off of the hall.

Sirius waited curiously, wondering why Moody had pulled him aside. The man furrowed his brow as he looked over the teenage boy carefully, reaffirming his suspicions.

"So, you're an animagus." It wasn't a question.

Taken off guard, Sirius' eyes went wide for a brief moment before reigning in composure.

"Very impressive." Moody acknowledged. "I assume you're not registered?"

Sirius faltered slightly, feeling uncomfortable under the man's gaze.

"I thought not." Professor Moody said with a smile cracking his face. "Keep it that way. With the war brewing, you never know when you will benefit from keeping a low profile."

* * *

_Merry Christmas! (Though I do plan to have another chapter coming before then)_

_I'll leave out the milk and cookies that are new chapters, and you can put on a Santa hat and leave a couple of reviews under my tree - Deal? ;)_

_~ CannS_

_xx_


	17. It's done

_Merry Christmas :)_

_Any review elves out there? I will return reviews_

_~ CannS_

_xx_

Disclaimer refresher: Everything you recognize belongs to J K Rowling, everything you don't, came from the depths of my imagination

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: "It's done."**

Two weeks later, the long-awaited quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor had finally arrived. There was a buzz of excitement in the air as a sea of red and green washed over the grounds and began filing into the stands surrounding the pitch as staff and students were jostling for the best seats. With Gryffindor's raw talent and Slytherin's sly, underhanded moves, this match was guaranteed to please and all but two members of the whole school had converged upon this game, eager to witness which team would be victorious.

As the shrill sound of the referee's whistle echoed around the stands, the golden snitch was released into the air and fourteen students in robes of red and green shot skyward, Bellatrix was walking across the Slytherin common room towards Severus, both unmissed by the crowds.

Bright embers glowed in the steel fire grate of the common room radiating a minimal warmth over Severus who sat comfortably in a large, leather armchair. Hearing footsteps reverbrating off of the stone flooring as Bellatrix's heels clicked across the room, the boy glanced up at the large ornate mirror above the fireplace and saw her approaching with a look of curiosity upon her face. Severus took a small leather pouch from his lap and held it up by the drawcord, allowing it to swing casually beneath his hand.

"It's done." He said indifferently.

Bellatrix took the small pouch from him and pulling two small vials from it a broad smile cracked her face as she held them up to the light.

"Took your time."

"I had to pick rare herbs at a specific stage in the lunar cycle, before simmering them for a month. If you're going to bitch, you should have just got your 'oh so powerful leader' to do it himself." Severus sneered, not liking her ungrateful tone considering all he had been through.

A dark look flashed across Bellatrix's face as she slipped the glass vials back into their pouch and drew her wand in once swift movement. "How dare you say such an insolent thing!" She shrilled. "You suggest we plague the Dark Lord with such frivolous things? The Dark Lord is the world's most powerful wizard, he has bigger things on his mind than a mere polyjuice potion!"

With an unforgivable curse on the tip of her tongue, Severus stood and snapped his wand up sharply to block her attack. She dodged his follow up attack before casting a curse back towards him, continuing in a graceful dance around the common room as a searing hot laceration cut through the leather couch and mirrors were smashed. Eventually Severus managed to disarm Bellatrix and her wand flew in a perfect arc across the room and land at his feet.

Holding her hand to her forearm and pulling it away she cackled delightedly seeing her fingertips were red with blood from a deep cut Severus had cast across her arm with a curse. He studied her carefully, one eyebrow cocked and the lines of a frown appearing at the bridge of his nose as she continued her maniacal laughter.

Clearing his throat, Severus diligently explained she only needed to add a lock of someone's hair to the potion for her appearance to change to theirs, and he went to leave her alone in her state of insanity. He crossed the room in determined strides and as he passed her, she stopped laughing and grabbed at his elbow.

"You're not going anywhere." She said, her voice once again crisp.

Severus turned at her and glared. "I made the potion. That was our deal. It's done, I'm out."

"Not yet, you're not." Bellatrix said smoothly, pulling one of the vials from the small pouch and popping the cork off she reached into her robes and unfolded a piece of parchment which held two hairs in the centre of it. Severus watched her carefully as she dropped one of the hairs into the potion and it began to bubble and thicken like toffee on a stovetop. "Drink up."

"I'm not drinking that."

"Yes, you are." With the insistency of her gaze, her dominating presence in the room was alarming given her small size.

"No. I'm out." Severus said assertively. "You can't make me do anything, especially without your wand." He added, seeing it still lying motionlessly on the opposite side of the common room.

"I don't need a wand." She said steadily as she placed her foot on top of the end table next to them and pulled her skirt up revealing a black garter holding a small silver dagger next to her thigh. Before he even had time to register what was happening, Severus found the dagger pointing directly at his throat and the curdling polyjuice potion once again thrust in his face.

With the glint of the blade catching his eye, Severus gave in and reached for the potion, downing the thick liquid in one large mouthful. The potion tried to fight its way back up and caught in the back of Severus' throat as he gagged. Struggling to keep it down, the glass vial fell from his hands and smashed into tiny shards that scattered across the room.

The top of his head began to tingle and his hair morphed from black to grey as it retreated out of his eyes and back into his scalp. His skeleton dropped a couple of inches shorter and his hands became weathered and wirey.

Looking up, Severus could see Bellatrix surveying him closely. "No, the potion didn't kill me." Severus said disdainfully in a voice vastly different to his own. "I made it properly, it's not poison. Now, your turn," He said, indicating the remaining vial and long white hair lying in the middle of the parchment.

Ignoring the potion, Bellatrix reached into her satchel and drew out what looked like a pile of grey and brown rags. "Put these on." She commanded forcefully, pointing towards the boys' dormitory.

Sighing deeply, Severus took the clothes she held out to him and shuffled off to his room, his left leg trailing slightly behind. Peering into a small mirror next to his bed, Severus was surprised to see Filch's small, beedy eyes staring back. He muttered obscenities to himself as he dressed and stowed his wand into his robes, wondering what on earth Bellatrix was planning. He could've at least had the proud body of the auror who had been around the school the last two weeks, instead he daren't open his eyes as he dressed, for fear of being scarred for life.

When Severus re-entered the common room, he saw a young woman with pixie-like features. She had long white hair hanging to her waist and wore a deep purple dress with small stones at the edge of the bodice. "Professor Hart?" the name caught in his throat.

"Oh, stop drooling." Severus could clearly hear Bellatrix's no-nonsensical tone cutting through the astronomy professor's voice and he knew he would never be able to look at the professor the same, again.

A few minutes later, Severus was slowly climbing a rickety back stairwell whilst Bellatrix set off in the opposite direction, not wanting Professor Hart and Filch to be inexplicably seen together. As pain shot up and down his left leg with each step, Severus now understood why Filch often walked with a limp and had a glacial demeanor towards most of the spritely student body.

Both Bellatrix and Severus converged upon the staff room at the same time. The lone inhabitant in the frame over the staffroom door sat up straight as he heard them approach.

"Professor Hart!" He exclaimed welcoming her, before turning to acknowledge Severus. "Mister Filch. How are you both today?"

Bellatrix smiled warmly, "I am fine, Phillip, how nice of you to ask. May I?" She asked, gesturing in the direction of the staff room.

"Why, of course ma'am. Have a lovely day." Phillip bowed graciously and his portrait swung forward revealing the arched entrance to the staff room.

"I need you to watch out for me and let me know if anyone is coming." Bellatrix said to Severus as the portrait closed behind them.

"I spent a month slaving over that disgusting potion, just so you could get into the teacher's lounge?" Severus snarled under his breath as he sat at the window and looked across the grounds to the red and green students hovering over the quidditch pitch in the distance.

"Yes." she said bluntly as she approached a large cabinet on the far wall and began searching through the rows of folders. "That stubborn portrait would never open for a student. Besides, even if we broke in here we couldn't risk getting caught as a student."

Severus turned to Bellatrix and watched as she pulled numerous folders down and glanced at their cover before slotting them back in place on the shelves. "What are you looking for anyway? The good cookies?"

"After this, you're 'done', so it doesn't concern you." She snapped sharply, silencing him. Finally she found what she was after and opening it out, a fluorescent green light shone from the tip of her wand and scanned over the contents of the folder, page by page, as Severus turned to look back out the window.

Moments later the rear staffroom door opened and the real Filch shuffled into the room. "Good morning, Stella," He smiled happily towards Bellatrix before noticing, what appeared to be himself sitting at the window.

Severus rapidly leapt from his seat, pulling his wand and before Filch could make a noise Severus cast the confundus charm over him. Filch's eyes swam out of focus before locking on Severus' own.

"You are looking at yourself in a mirror, Argus." Severus said smoothly in Filch's voice. "Peeves is setting off dung-bombs in the astronomy tower again, you should go and stop him."

"That damn poltergeist, always… and the…" Filch's voice trailed off nonsensically as he wandered out of the room.

"You know, you have some pretty fast reflexes. Are you sure you're out?" Bellatrix watched Severus carefully as he silently returned to his post at the window.

* * *

After another advanced defense against the dark arts class with Moody, the Gryffindors returned to their tower to sprawl out on the furniture around the common room, too exhausted to be productive but too buzzed for sleep. Moody had spent the lesson teaching them the importance of wand-less magic. With their wands out of reach, they had to use a wand less summoning spell to retrieve them, so they would have some hope of protection if they were ever disarmed in combat. An hour later, the students were red with frustration and at best, only Lily, James, Sirius and Quentin, a 6th year from Hufflepuff, were able to summon their wands any closer. This seemed to please Moody who paid particular attention to the four as their wands danced teasingly out of reach.

After Sirius' first encounter with Moody he felt particularly nervous under the older mans' calculating gaze because he had never been surveyed with such intrigue before. Having an outsider know his animagi identity was still haunting him as he sat in an over-stuffed armchair and threw his legs over the armrest so he could watch the game of wizards' chess that James and Remus were setting up near by. He had not told James, Remus nor Peter about Moody because he was not ready to explain how Moody found out and, as an extension, reveal he had secretly been meeting Amelia. He did not know why he had not been able to tell them, it was a foreign concept for him to hold a secret from the four boys who always shared everything. They had made a pact when they found out about Remus' secret to never keep anything from one another, and until now he had abided by their friendship-imposed rules. But this felt different. He himself did not know what he was thinking, nor feeling, so how could he tell them?

As James and Remus were silently engaged in a game of wizard's chess with Peter anxiously looking on, Sirius pulled the aged piece of parchment he had taken to carrying with him, from the front of his robes. Normally the Marauder's map was the perfect way for the four boys to sneak out of the castle or down to the kitchens for a midnight snack without coming across a patrolling professor, but tonight, Sirius was only interested in one mark, placed in the Gryffindor tower. Oblivious to the exploding chess pieces being destroyed to his right, all of his attention was focused towards the tiny moving footsteps circling the paper before him as he forlornly ran his forefinger back and forth over the familiar name, feeling so distanced from someone so close. The footsteps suddenly stopped their pacing and after a brief pause moved off in the opposite direction at a rapid pace, immediately followed by the sound of light footsteps running down the spiraling staircase from the girls' dormitory and the girl tumbled headfirst into the room, skidding to a sudden stop in front of the boys. Sirius sat upright sharply and Remus, James and Peter diverted their attention from the chess board to the flustered girl.

"Mel? What's happened, are you okay?" Remus asked. The concern was evident in his eyes as he looked to Amelia who was wide-eyed and flushed.

"Remus, thank Merlin I've found you! You won't believe it! Can you please do me a huge favor?" Amelia begged of her friend. "Can you please go to the ball with me? Otherwise Cherie is going to make me go with DuGray!"

Sirius toyed with the torn edges of the parchment that rested in his lap, staring at the map without actually looking at it. Anything to melt out of existence and pretend he was not witness to this conversation.

"So I'm the lesser of two evils ay? It's nice to feel loved." Remus chuckled.

"You know what I mean." She sighed in exasperation. "He's just so… so…"

"So, 'DuGray'?" Remus helped her find the world she was looking for.

"Exactly! At least I know I can trust you, he'd likely try leading me off to the cleaning closet on the 4th floor or something. He's so sleazy and rude and arrogant an…"

"Mel? Mel!" Remus said cutting her off and getting her attention. "Amelia Lambeth, would you give me the honor of taking you to the ball?"

"Thank you!" She squealed, throwing her arms around Remus just as Sirius chanced a glance in their direction. "I've got to go and stop Cherie before she sends that owl to DuGray!" She said before disappearing up the stairs as quickly as she had flown down them just moments before.

"Well, it looks like you're sorted for the ball then, Moony. I suppose I should work out who I should ask. Matilda seems keen, but she's so clingy, I don't want to send her the wrong message and never get rid of her. What do you think, Padfoot?" James asked as he nudged a pawn across the chess board.

"Huh?" Sirius wrenched his gaze from Remus upon hearing his name and frantically searched his mind for the topic at hand.

"Who're you taking to the ball?"

"Oh, uhm, I don't think I'm going to ask anyone…" Sirius said, somewhat resentful that he would have to watch one of his best friends go with the one girl who had captured his attention.

"You're going stag? Brilliant!" James exclaimed approvingly. "What about you Wormtail?"

"Sounds good to me, why tie yourself down with one girl when you can keep your options open?"

James looked at Peter dubiously for a moment, before laughing and clapping him on the shoulder.

"Check," Remus interrupted the conversation, as it had interrupted their game, and jumped his knight over James' bishop.

Sirius' mind was already a million miles away as James exclaimed in protest and declared war as he retaliated with his rook taking the knight. Sirius wanted nothing more than to hit Remus, although he had not actually done anything wrong.


	18. It looks like it's just you and me

_A/N: Believe it or not, the first draft of these next chapters began way back when I was in chapter **two**. After all this time, I can't believe I've finally got it all out and am about to share them with you!_

_I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear what you think :)_

_Happy reading, and Happy New Year!_

_~ CannS_

_xx_

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: "It looks like it's just you and me."**

After dinner, Sirius returned to the dormitory alone and sat in the window seat with his knees pulled up to his chest as he gazed out over the silent landscape. The air was completely still and held heavy grey clouds with undefined edges threateningly above the castle. A thin layer of frost was already settling on the grass and he could feel the cold bite in the air transferring through the window pane.

It was Sunday evening, and again, Amelia had taken the train to London for the weekend to visit her father at St Mungos. Sirius knew her train would be on the return trip to Hogsmeade at that very moment, yet he sat resolutely still, gazing far off into the distance. He felt too protective to let her walk back to the castle alone, but it tore him apart to see her so close to Remus when he himself had had no success in cultivating a friendship with her. He was not sure if Padfoot could accompany her back again without being overcome by feelings of resentment because he could not reveal himself to her, and that he would not be the one taking her to the ball. But at the same time, he didn't like the thought of her walking back by herself. He had a decision to make and had no idea how to make it.

Meanwhile in the common room below, the portrait door swung open and Lily bustled in with an armload of parchment. Seeing James and Remus seated in the armchairs by the fire, with Peter lying on the rug between them gazing into the mesmerizing flames, she made a beeline towards the boys.

"James," she called his attention, "the ball's only next week and we've still got so much to do. On top of that, we need to confirm the menus with the house elves tonight to ensure everything's ordered on time."

"As long as mushroom caps are on the menu, I'm good to go."

Peter turned his head at the mention of food. "Mushroom caps? Gross. Salmon puffs are a must though."

"Caps, puffs, sure," She muttered as she leafed through her ever-growing folder. "Come on, James, let's go." She turned towards the portrait.

"Oh, you want me to come with you now?" James hesitated.

"Yes. As I've just finished telling you, we need to confirm this tonight or half the food won't arrive on time!"

"Well, uh, I've got plans to do something with the guys tonight… is it that important that I go? Do you think you could do it yourself?"

"I don't believe it! If you are going to be shirking all of your responsibilities…" Lily sternly lectured, placing her hands on her hips and looking upon James with an utter look of disrespect.

"It's alright," Remus softly interjected before the feisty red-head was in full rant mode. "Go. You can catch up with us later, if you finish early; you'll know where to find us."

James knew that in the wake of the previous full moon, where someone, even though it was Severus, had come so close to being attacked, Remus had been stressing about this evening. Already thinking of plausible excuses he could give Lily, he gave Remus a look that said 'are you sure?' to which he simply nodded.

"Okay then, go with Sirius and I'll catch up with we're done." He promised Remus before turning to Lily and pushing himself out of the armchair. "Come on, let's go.".

As James followed Lily out of the common room, Remus looked out of the window to the orange sky stretching over the grounds and let out a sigh. "The sun is setting, we should go get Padfoot and make a move."

The two boys climbed the stairs to their dormitory and heard a whistling coming from within the room. Peter pushed his way through the door and saw Sirius combing his hair before tousling it with his fingertips.

"Getting all spiffed up for our benefit?" Peter jested as he flopped down on his bed and leaned under it, searching for his shoes.

"Of course, you twonk." Sirius laughed, throwing his comb at Peter.

"Are you ready to go, Padfoot?" Remus asked, curiously observing Sirius' lively demeanor.

"Oh, uhm. I was wondering if I could catch up to you guys later?" Sirius asked tentatively. "I mean, you'll still have Prongs there, right? Nothing much can happen with him around."

"Well actually…" Peter began, as he pulled up his mismatched socks and jammed his feet into his heavily worn shoes.

"Yes, that's fine." Remus cut Peter off. It had been too long since he had seen Sirius in such a bright mood; Remus didn't want him to feel pressured into canceling on this mystery girl for him. "You'll know where to find us if you're free later."

"Sure thing." Sirius flashed a bright smile as he fastened his good cloak over his shoulders and left the room.

Peter looked at Remus confused, but Remus just put on a brave face.

"It looks like it's just you and me, Wormtail."

"That's the fourth Sunday he's mysteriously bailed on us, you know?" Peter said, rummaging into the trunk at the foot of James' bed, eventually tugging out the invisibility cloak and putting it on. "I bet he's seeing Paige."

Remus looked up in surprise. "Madame Rosmerta's neice?"

"Yea," Peter nodded insistently. "I bet he's off to meet her at the end of her shift." The two boys considered Sirius' secretive behaviour as they left the castle, coming up with wild scenarios to explain his whereabouts. In the shade of the castle, Peter removed the invisibility cloak and passed it to Remus before morphing into a rat and dashing across the grass to reach at a knot in the base of the tree that was glowing with the orange backdrop of a clear sunset.

Remus hastened after Peter and slid carefully into the hole at the base of the tree, finding himself in the all too familiar tunnel that led to the shrieking shack. Stooping down, Remus followed the rat which scampered ahead of him until he heard a loud squeaking as he accidentally trampled Peter and simultaneously hit a wall. Disoriented, Remus reached his hands out and felt rough, soiled rocks in front of him.

"Lumos," he said retrieving his wand and squinting in the sudden light. Mere inches from his face, was a solid wall of rocks and soil reaching from the floor to the ceiling of the tunnel. Behind him Peter transformed back into human form.

"That bloody hurt, you know!"

"I'm sorry, but you do usually race ahead." Remus said offhandedly, carefully examining the wall before him.

"Well, I could hardly get through with this in front of me!" Peter waved a hand towards the pile of rubble. "What do you think happened?"

Remus stepped back slightly. "It looks like some sort of cave in. We're going to have to shift this if we're going to get through." He said nervously, glancing at his watch.

"No problem." Peter pulled his wand from his pocket, "Reduc…"

"Langlock!" Remus turned his wand suddenly on Peter who found himself choking on the end of his previous incantation as his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. Peter's eyes went wild with fury and Remus gave him an apologetic look as he reversed the spell.

"What on earth did you do that for?"

"You can't use 'reducto' in here! It would blast through the rubble, but the explosion would likely cause the whole tunnel to cave in on us!" Remus insisted.

Peter took a breath as if to add something, but thought better of it and ended in a sigh. "So, what does this mean then? No, you can't be serious?" He added as Remus rolled up his sleeves.

Remus smiled apologetically and set his wand on the ground so it cast a light over the wall blocking their way. "We don't have long before the moon rises, I need your help." He asserted as he began to pull the rubble away, stone by stone, trying to clear a hole big enough for them to crawl through.

Back in the Gryffindor tower, James and Lily had just got back from the kitchens having finalized their order for the ball that weekend.

"Hey, thanks for reminding me that I had a duty to fulfill and getting me to come down with you tonight, Lily. I had fun."

"See? It's not so bad when you stop being a twat." Lily grinned. "You should really show this side of you more often, you know."

"Maybe I will," James said, a smile tugging at his lips.

They had lasted the evening without a single spat and the relaxed atmosphere between them was a welcome change that they both recognized as a dynamic shift towards friendship – a remarkable achievement for the two of them.

"Sweet dreams." James bade Lily good night as she moved to go upstairs to the girls' dormitory.

"Goodnight, James." She smiled before disappearing from sight.

On the bottom steps of the boys' dormitory, James listened to Lily's retreating footsteps and waited for the closed bedroom door above, before walking back across the common room and through the portrait of the fat lady. James pulled a well-used piece of parchment from his back pocket and waved his wand over it. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Instantly, ink began to soak through the page, detailing a complete map of the Hogwarts grounds.

He used the map to guide him through the castle, avoiding Filch and Mrs Norris. Narrowly missing Peeves on the second floor, James checked the map to see if the first floor and grounds were all clear. A movement near the rear exit of the grounds caught his attention and he saw Sirius' name moving towards the castle, with Amelia Lambeth. Making a mental note to confront Sirius about that later, he turned his focus to the shrieking shack and was surprised to see it void of a living soul. With a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach, James scanned the map for any sign of Remus or Peter on the map. Finally he found their names halfway up the path to the shrieking shack.

"What are you doing? You don't have much time!" But even as he said it, he saw Peter's name shooting quickly towards the shack, as Remus' began to vibrate violently, and he knew it was already too late. He thrust the map towards his back pocket where it fell unnoticed to the floor as James was already running at full speed down the corridor, throwing himself down the stairs two at a time.


	19. You never left me

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: "You Never Left Me"**

Amelia stepped off the train and embraced the large black dog she had hoped would be waiting on the platform for her. "He's coming home!" She declared to the dog with a broad smile on her face as her gloved hands scratched behind his ears. "Dad will be home for Christmas!"

Sirius barked excitedly and wagged his tail back and forth, pleased for her news. Despite the cold and not being able to be with Amelia as a human, he felt had made the right decision to go down to the Hogsmeade station that evening, if for no other reason than to see how happy she was. He could feel the heavy weight of worry lifting off of her shoulders as she finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and knew her father would be okay after all.

As she hummed a tune merrily to herself, Sirius trotted leisurely alongside Amelia back to the castle, enjoying the walk through the crisp air with frosted leaves crunching beneath their feet. Pushing the large wrought iron gates at the front of the school open, they began the last incline before they reached the castle. Sirius sat at the bottom of the wide stone stairs which led to the entrance as Amelia said goodnight to him and climbed to the top, only to push on the heavy front doors and find they were locked.

"Alohomora," Amelia said, waving her wand over the heavy lock, but it when it would not move she decided not to push her luck, knowing that Peeves had taken to locking doors throughout the castle and lacing them with boobytraps for when people tried to force their way through. "Looks like I'm going in the back way." Amelia smiled to the large dog that still sat patiently at the bottom of the steps.

The pair rounded the side of the castle and came up behind the glasshouses when Sirius suddenly came to a sharp halt and grabbed Amelia's sleeve in his mouth, pulling her back forcefully. Amelia looked at him puzzled and her brow furrowed as she observed his odd behaviour. With his hackles raised, Sirius walked in front of her, cautiously sniffing at the air, his eyes darting around the expansive grounds. That was when he saw it. There was a shadow of movement, at the base of a large tree, which slinked across the lawn as the branches of the tree began to sway violently. It was unmistakably the form of a werewolf, free and roaming the grounds. The werewolf's eyes were bloodshot and the edge of his muzzle salivating, thirsting for the blood of the students it instinctively knew lay within the castle.

As the wolf took his first step towards the castle, Amelia took a hastened step backward and tripped on her robes, falling gently to the firm ground. The wolf's head jerked up and his eyes locked onto Amelia's own which were wide open with fear. With an elongated salute to the moon, the howling echoed around the Hogwarts grounds and Amelia felt rooted to the spot as the werewolf began to prowl towards her, baring its teeth and growling deep from within its throat. Thinking of the grim that was formed in the crystal ball during detention, she was mesmerized by the wolf's stare and unable to move, until she felt a forceful nudge from the large black dog and she realized she should be running for her life. Death had not caught her yet.

Staggering to her feet, Amelia withdrew her wand and had it poised, ready to fend off the werewolf should it pounce. Sirius instantaneously placed himself between Amelia and the werewolf, growling, ready for a fight. Deep down, he knew he faced Remus, but he could not let himself think of him that way. Right now, he was a vicious, bloodthirsty beast who desperately wanted to attack Amelia and there was no humanity left behind those eyes. Sirius knew that it would be a battle for blood one way or another, and neither boy could live with himself under the knowledge that harm had befell upon Amelia.

Amelia sidled along the side of the glasshouses, getting closer to the rear entrance to the castle. Sensing his meal was about to escape, the werewolf began to run towards the girl and the dog ran to meet him, the two colliding in mid air, teeth bared and claws desperately fighting to overpower the other one. As the two dogs fought, Amelia turned and ran as hard as she could, her wand clasped tightly in her fist as her arms powered back and forth.

The wolf bit at the dogs neck and with a flick of his head, lobbed the dog into a clearing in the trees at the edge of the Forbidden forest, before turning once again on Amelia. She could soon feel the wolf's hot breath on her ankles and risked a glance back to see the dog had recovered and with blood trickling down its shoulder it ran from the woods and pounced with all of its might, plunging into the werewolf's side and knocking it severely off course. Again, the werewolf focused its gaze on the dog but being wounded so, he was no match for the much more powerful wolf. The hungrily snapping jaw was only inches away from Amelia as she sprinted up the stairwell towards the rear entrance.

The doors to the castle swung open with great force and a large stag erupted from the entrance as if from nowhere. Leaping over the girl, it thrust its antlers towards the werewolf, knocking him backward, off the steps. The wolf staggered to his feet and quickly rallied for another attack, determined to let nothing stop him from getting his meal. The wolf flew through the air and landed over the stag's back, where it tried to dig its claws into his rump before it was bucked off. The stag chased forward again, propelling his antlers forward, driving the wolf away until he chased him into the forbidden forest.

Trembling, Amelia looked over her shoulder and held her breath as she watched them disappear from sight, then she noticed a dark shadow laid on the ground and pushing herself up off of the cold, stone steps, she carefully crossed the lawn toward the wounded dog. Kneeling down in front of Sirius, her robes billowed up around her as she leant over him, carefully examining the deep wounds in his side and bite marks on his shoulder. Amelia chewed her lip, deep in thought, as she pressed a clean handkerchief to the wound and have it instantly soaked red.

She looked around for any sign of life within the castle, but no one seemed to have heard the commotion through the thick stone walls. Then she noticed a steady stream of smoke rising from a small ramshackle cottage. "I'll take you to Hagrid."

Mustering all its strength, the dog feebly tried to drag himself to his feet before collapsing weakly back to the grass.

"I'll take you to Hagrid, he looks after a lot of animals, he'll know what to do."  
She asserted again as she got to her feet and crouching down tried to take the dog up into her arms.

The dog pawed desperately at her knees, pushing her away.

"I won't just leave you here, I won't." Amelia insisted. "You never left me."

The dog's deep grey eyes locked with hers for a moment, and slowly she began to see the dog change. His large paws shrunk and torso transformed, until finally she was facing a teenage boy in his place, his deep grey eyes locking on hers.

Amelia's breath caught in her throat.

"Sirius?"

* * *

_A/N Thanks for reading :) Sorry for the short chapter - I have some longer scenes coming up._

_I am looking to have about 30 chapters when "Change in the Air" is all posted - so make sure you add me to your story/author alerts so you don't miss an update. __In my final edit, _I have determined that I hate two upcoming chapters, so they are in the process of a substantial rewrite which may slightly delay updates as I double-check for consistency etc. I would love to hear what you think of the story so far, and I may be able to incorporate your feedback into the final chapters.

_~CannS_


	20. Breathe

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: "Breathe"**

With his robes torn and tattered, Sirius lay on the frosted ground, wounded and struggling for breath. "Not Hagrid, he'll find out I'm not…" he coughed some blood up from his lungs and tried to prop himself up off the ground with his one good arm before caving in on himself and rolling over to his back in pain.

"Accio, suitcase." Amelia waved her wand towards the suitcase, which she had abandoned behind the glasshouses, and it obediently levitated across the grounds towards her. She snapped the brass buckle open and pulled out a neatly folded blouse that sat on the top and tore wide strips from it.

"What are..?" Sirius' question was cut short, punctuated with another coughing fit.

"Don't talk," Amelia hushed him.

Silently she yanked at his already ripped sleeve and pulled it into two clear halves so she could move in closer to his shoulder as she worked with the make-shift bandages and her wand to slow the bleeding.

"It's too deep," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than anything as she held the now stained remnants of her blouse firmly against Sirius' shoulder. Reaching her left hand into her suitcase, she withdrew a folded camisole and exchanging it for the soiled cotton, pressed that against the open wound before pulling a pair of dark blue tights out and carefully lifting Sirius' head. She swiftly laced the tights beneath him and around his chest, tying the camisole securely over his wound.

"Sirius?" She said clearly, looking him in the eyes and taking his hand, placing it over the engineered bandage. "I need you to try and hold pressure here for me, I'm going to get help, okay?"

Sirius held her hand tightly as she went to stand up. "No, we can't do that to Remus," he croaked.

"Remus? No, Remus is okay, Sirius. I promise. You have lost a lot of blood. I need to get Madam Pomfrey."

"No! Please, just help me to the common room."

"Sirius, look at me, do you remember what happened?" Amelia held his gaze with her eyes as she checked his temperature with the back of her hand. "You have been bitten by a werewolf and you may have… you need medical attention," she could not voice her concern, but he saw the realization of what had happened flicker across her face.

Sirius shook his head gently. "Animagi aren't affected by lycanthropy, so there's no need to tell anyone. I'll explain everything when we're inside."

Amelia scrutinized his face which was becoming a ghostly white, however, his true, grey eyes, unwavering in their conviction, never left hers.

"Please," he pleaded of her.

Unsure, she bit her bottom lip in thought. The first winter flakes of snow began to drift down over them, unnoticed by Amelia whose entire resolve was focused upon her patient. Her nursing instincts were keeping all of the questions that should have been front of mind, at bay, but the niggling memory of that rabid wolf still hung clear in the air and she realized she couldn't leave Sirius alone – he couldn't get away by himself if the wolf were to come back.

"Can you walk?"

"Thank you," Sirius said, gingerly getting to his feet with Amelia supporting him.

"Locomotor suitcase," Amelia waved her wand at her suitcase which immediately hovered in the air, ready to follow them back up to the dormitory. With her left arm around Sirius' waist and her right hand pressing firmly against the werewolf bite, the two slowly made their way through the castle.

Outside of the Gryffindor tower's entrance they had a close call, nearly running into Filch. They heard his wheezing cough before rounding the corner and hid behind a suit of armour. Flickering candlelight shined off of the polished metal and Sirius peered carefully around it as he heard Filch crooning to his cat.

"What have you found here, Mrs Norris? Parchment? There must be students loose in the corridors again, after curfew!" Filch squinted up and down the corridor, vainly hoping to see them lurking in plain sight. He stooped low to pick up the parchment and began to inspect the markings on it. "'The Marauder's Map'" he read thoughtfully, opening the heavily worn parchment.

Sirius recognized it at once and propping himself against the wall for a moment, he repositioned himself to take out his own wand and point it through a gap in the gleaming armour. "Mischief managed." He whispered, and watched Filch's confusion as the ink melted off of the map, instantaneously appearing to be nothing more than a spare piece of parchment to have fallen out of someone's bag. Filch studied the parchment in silence for another full minute, turning it over repeatedly looking for some sign of the map that had been there before his very eyes just moments previously. Eventually he folded the map and put it into his back pocket before shuffling back down the corridor, allowing Sirius and Amelia to come out of their hiding place and re-enter the common room where Amelia helped Sirius up to the boys' dormitory.

"Thank you, Amelia. I owe you." Sirius said, sitting down on the large trunk at the end of his bed.

"Well, if you owe me, you'll go and see Madam Pomfrey?"

"No, I can't. I'll be fine." He added, seeing her expression.

"If you won't see her, will you at least let me dress the wound properly?" Her hazel eyes looked to Sirius and awaited his consenting nod.

Gently she removed her makeshift bandage and sliding her warm hands beneath the hem of his shirt, carefully pulled it over his head. The claw marks over his torso were deep, but not as troublesome as the swelling bite on his shoulder caked with blood and mud. Amelia crouched before him and examined the wounds before concluding there was just far too much risk of infection.

"We need to clean the worst of the mud and dirt off before I can sterilize it. If I help you to the bathroom will you, uh, be okay to shower by yourself?" She asked awkwardly.

"Yea," Sirius answered. "But could you get me a towel? Left hand side of my trunk."

"Sure," Amelia said, opening his trunk and pulling out a towel and pair of striped grey pyjamas before helping Sirius to the bathroom and turning the shower faucets of the middle cubicle on full.

Amelia disappeared from the room and Sirius sat on the edge of the long vanity and pushed each shoe off with his opposite foot before loosening his belt and unfastening the large metal button to free him of his jeans. Stepping into the shower, he recoiled against the sting of the hot water as it slapped against his skin and gritting his teeth he held himself steadfast beneath the cascade of water, which rinsed the blood down his body where it circled the drain and washed away. With a glimpse of the newly exposed bites, his stomach turned and he turned his head to the side and closed his eyes tightly, shutting out the pain. If he was being honest with himself, he would be checking himself into St Mungos to get the deep gashes medi-healed. But the Maurauders would forever protect their fellow brother, so he pushed his fears deeper inside and shut off the faucet.

Getting out of the shower he shook his hair vigorously, dispelling the majority of the water. Pulling the folded towel from the edge of the basin with his left hand Sirius dried his left side thoroughly before gently patting his right side dry, wincing at every touch. Next to the towel, Amelia had left him a pair of grey pyjamas, so he carefully stepped into the pyjama bottoms and pulled them up before slowly moving through to the dorm, doing his best to ignore the pain that shot through his right leg.

With a blue tuft of fur on her shoulder, Amelia was using the top of his trunk as a makeshift table as she pulled gauzes, wraps and ointments of every different colour from a brown leather bag she had with her. She looked up from her work when she heard Sirius come into the room, and crossed to help him over to his bed where she sat him down.

"I hope you don't mind Zell is here. I couldn't get her to stay in our room when I went to get my bag." Amelia said, already continuing to unload it. She did not like the look of his injuries and was not going to waste a moment.

Sirius watched Amelia working steadily, and silently admired her undivided attention as she was completely undistracted by Zell orbiting her. A stream of warm water flowed from the tip of Amelia's wand and into the claw-footed alchemy basin she had placed on his bedside cabinet, tendrils of steam rising steadily from the bowl and fogging the window above. She pulled the brown leather bag closer and drew out a small bottle labelled 'Murtlap Essence'. Freeing the cork from the neck of the bottle she carefully let a few drops of the yellow liquid fall into the basin below and stirred it in a figure of eight with one hand, whilst feeling for Sirius' pulse with the other. His pulse was coming through weak and slow, and although steady, she knew she could not let it drop any lower.

"How are you feeling?" She engaged her patient as she dunked a cloth into the basin and wrung it out, carefully looking over Sirius who had gone ashen.

"I'm fine."

She could hear the lie as his words struggled free between ragged breaths, and she could see his smile was forced; she had his true answer. Knowing he hadn't fooled anyone, he tried changing the subject.

"So, Zell's still with you?"

"Yea, she lives with me now," Amelia explained as Zell danced on the edge of the iron basin. "Fang wasn't sick, just turns out he's allergic to her."

"Well she does seem to enjoy being with you," Sirius commented seeing how entranced Zell was by what Amelia was doing.

"This may sting," Amelia warned, pressing the medicated cloth to his shoulder with scarce warning, and gently squeezing some of the murtlap essence deeper into the wound.

With a sharp intake of breath, Sirius clenched his teeth and winced at the initial sting. All of his muscles were contracting, fighting back the pain which overwhelmed him. His hands instinctively grabbed at the edge of the duvet, screwing it tightly in his locked fist as he held his breath and coiled the blanket tighter around his fingers in an effort to distract himself from the searing pain in his side.

"Breathe," Amelia instructed in a soothing voice as she moved over the deep claw marks and eventually down to the deep bite in his leg.

In a gentle blue glow, Zell landed on Sirius' good shoulder and peered across his chest, examining the deep bite. Sirius obediently released his suspended breath and soon the pain was replaced by radiating warmth which began to soothe through him as Amelia continued to clean his wounds.

"Where are Remus, Peter and James?" Amelia asked, trying to keep him talking in an attempt to monitor any further deterioration.

"Well, I have no idea about Peter, but last I saw James and Remus, they were headed toward the forest." He spoke much freer as the pain slowly left him.

"Mmm, hmm," Amelia said, barely paying attention as she went over the wounds with a refreshed cloth of murtlap essence. "It's Moody's last class tomorrow, are you going?"

"I wouldn't miss it. His classes are…" Sirius said before Amelia suddenly leapt up with a gasp, bumping into the small end table where the basin slopped some murtlap essence onto the floor.

"The forest?" Her voice was shrill. "Remus and James are in the forest? Bu-but, we've got to warn them! We've got to send someone! There's a werewolf out there! They could get hurt! McGonnagall, I'll go get McGonagall…" she rattled off, already moving toward the door.

"Amelia, stop." Sirius said levelly, reaching out for her hand and gently pulling her back from the door. "You already know that I'm an animagus. Now you need to know the full story."

Several minutes passed as Sirius told the story of the fateful night that Remus was attacked by a werewolf; and of how Sirius, James and Peter had become animagi to accompany their new friend on the night of the otherwise nightmarish full moon, each month.

Mindlessly circling her wand above each cut, Amelia quietly uttered healing charms under her breath and hung onto every word Sirius was saying. She didn't react to anything he said, but her face blanched a little bit more with each additional detail until he was finished and her cheeks were as white as the flurries of snow drifting past the window. She stared through the snow and over the grounds to the forbidden forest in silence for a full minute before she found her voice.

"So, that was... Remus?"

"No." Sirius answered from the heart. "Once a month Remus, our dear, loyal, kind friend, disappears and is overwhelmed by the beast that attacked us tonight. Remus will be back in the morning, without any trace of the monster."

She nodded slowly, taking it all in. "Is anyone in danger?"

"No, not with Prongs out there. James knows how to control and calm him. How to distract him from his hunger."

With that last word, any remaining colour drained from Amelia's face and she turned to Sirius with her eyes wide.

"Why do it?" She asked incredulously. "Why learn the most advanced and dangerous form of transfiguration, that most wizards can never master, just to be with such a savage beast?"

"He's my friend. He needed me." Their eyes locked together, grey on brown. A moment of intensity hung in the air between them and a haze suffocated her mind. She shook her head gently, shaking the fog away and wrenching her attention back to treating his wounds.

"I don't have anything to help with the pain, but can give you something to help you sleep, if you want?" Amelia focused intently as she applied cream of dittany over his ribs before rolling a bandage around his middle and securing it firmly.

"That might be a good idea," Sirius conceded as Amelia dressed the bite on his calf.

Amelia continued to work in silence with Zell curiously watching over them and although Sirius was likewise observing her, eye contact was not again achieved.

"Amelia?" Sirius called her name softly.

She did not look up nor stop working, but responded with a slight nod of the head to show she was listening.

"I want you to remember, that was our friend, Remus. I know this is all a lot to take in, but I just want you to think carefully before exposing his secret to others. I don't know what happened tonight, but assure you that Remus' number one priority has always been to ensure that everyone was safe. You and I both know that Remus is a good man, who deserves to finish his education without prejudice."

Amelia remained distant as she sealed the final bandage and drew a glass potion bottle from her bag with the label 'Lambeth – Sleeping Draught' with the grade 'Outstanding' scrawled over it in Slughorn's handwriting. Carefully pouring the clear liquid onto a measuring spoon, she handed it to Sirius.

Mere seconds after swallowing the tasteless potion, Sirius stifled a yawn. Amelia had barely helped him into bed before he fell into a deep sleep. She drew the blankets up to his chin and gently brushed his long hair back off of his face before hastily drawing her hand back as if scolded. She quickly packed up her medical supplies and not risking a last glance back to him she left the boys' dorm she turned out the lights with Zell following close behind.

After a brief detour to wash up and change for bed, Amelia pushed the door open to the girls' dorm and quietly slipped inside. The moon cast a tunnel of light which cut through the center of the room, illuminating a discarded pair of heels and a clutch on the floor, remnants of Cherie's recent date with Phoenix. The sleeping girl was sprawled over her bed in a wild entanglement of blankets, her faultlessly straight hair spread wild across her crimson pillow. Across the room, light snoring was emanating from beneath a herbology text loosely held in Lily's slender hand as she lay in bed. Amelia removed the heavy book and placed it on the bedside table before extinguishing the guttering candle casting an erratic glow over Lily.

Amelia pushed her medi-bag back in place beneath her bed and crawled into bed only to lie there wide awake. With Zell curled up on her chest, purring in a steady hum, Amelia's mind drifted to the night's events and the curious feeling that hung in the air with Sirius. Her mind travelled in preoccupied circles for hours and she wished she had thought to take some of the sleeping draught herself.


	21. Truly one magic witch

_Happy Easter :)_

_~CannS_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY: "Truly One Magic Witch"**

The next morning, Sirius awoke alone in the dorm to a throbbing pain coursing through his body. His limbs felt heavy and his breathing was labored as he resisted the pain and tightness that constricted in his chest each time he inhaled. Remus had never attacked him with such fervor before and while the potion induced sleep lifted, and the pain continued to intensify, he could only take solace in the fact that he had borne the brunt of Remus' attack, leaving Amelia unharmed.

Gingerly sitting up, Sirius carefully unrolled the bandages covering much of his body. Amelia had done a thorough job and the medicated cream had already worked its way into the previously deep cuts which were starting to knit themselves closed. After a quick shower Sirius dressed in a loose shirt and slacks and made his way to the common room. As he descended the stairs he saw Amelia reading a book at a small nook by a window as students were milling around the common room, some noisily moving through with others lethargically dragging themselves down for breakfast. Sirius crossed the room in three strides and sat in the chair opposite Amelia.

"Good morning."

She looked up from her book and smiling she pushed it deep into her bag.

"I was hoping to catch you before breakfast," she glanced briefly around the room to ensure they were without an audience, and lowered her voice. "How are you feeling? Are they inflamed? Because they could be infected, I can give you something for that…"

"I'm fine. Perhaps a little tender, but well on the way to healing, thanks to you." He added with a broad smile.

"And I'm here, thanks to you." She returned.

Sirius pushed himself up from the table. "Are you coming to breakfast?"

"Yea," Amelia said as she stood up and slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

Sirius looked up as he saw the portrait door open and Amelia followed his gaze to see Peter and James enter the common room with Remus slumping in behind them. His expression was drawn and he had dark bags beneath his eyes with a shadow of stubble across his face. Remus' eyes went wide when he noted Amelia staring back at him.

"I've actually… I just remembered, I've got to…" Amelia struggled to form a coherent sentence before disappearing back to the girls' dorm without a further word.

Remus' head dropped in shame and he avoided eye contact with everyone in the room as he made a bee-line for the boys' dormitory. Sirius, James, and Peter shared a glance loaded with questions before following Remus upstairs.

Sat on the edge of his bed Remus held his face in his hands, his hair pulled taut between his fingers. His friends filed into the room and Sirius sat down next to him whilst Peter sat on his bed, opposite, and James leant on the closest four poster frame.

"Did I… bite her?" Remus spoke deliberately.

"No, Amelia's fine. I was with her the whole time." Sirius reassured.

"But you… I remember…" Remus raised his head and scrutinized Sirius' torso, as if he could see right through the fabric to the scars beneath his shirt. "Did I attack you?" It wasn't a question.

"We 'wrestled' for a bit." He responded lightly. "What happened? Why weren't you in the shack?"

With a frustrated growl, Remus pulled his hands roughly through his hair again. "I didn't mean… Pete and I got stuck."

Seeing the confusion on their faces, Peter relayed the story of the cave in.

"We hadn't been able to clear a big enough gap in time and there was nothing we could do. His eyes were so hungry…" His voice trailed off with a wary glance at Remus. "We had only managed to clear a small hole, so I transformed and escaped to the shack where I waited, hoping you guys were on your way."

"Which must have been when Lily and I finished in the kitchens," James put his piece of the evening's puzzle in place. "I pulled the map out and saw you weren't in the shack, but it was already too late.

"It was convenient you were there to protect Amelia, wasn't it, Padfoot?" James added with a note of curiosity in his voice. "Why were you with her?"

Peter looked puzzled. "You were with Amelia? I thought you on a date with Rosmerta's neice, Paige?"

As Remus caught the look in Sirius' eyes, a realization dawned on him. "She's the one you meant."

Sirius paused for a moment, before nodding his head.

"What?" Peter and James had not missed the exchange.

Sirius shrugged. "I may have an interest in her, okay?"

"Well, you kept that secret!" James exclaimed.

"So, Paige is available?" Peter's face lit up hopefully.

Sirius chuckled involuntarily and tried to suppress the resulting wince as the pain flared up.

"Come on, guys. We should hit the showers before class." James said. "Cold for you, Wormy."

Remus stood up and obediently shuffled through to the bathroom behind Peter whilst James sat next to Sirius in the seat that Remus had just vacated.

"How are you really? When I turned up last night, you definitely weren't in good shape."

"Remus doesn't need to be filled in on every detail. I'm fine though; Amelia is truly one magic witch." He pulled up his shirt to reveal the wide-spread scarring over his torso.

James' eyes went wide. "She did this? I've never seen a deep cut heal this rapidly!"

"I know," Sirius smiled with a hint of pride. "But you really smell like you've been running around in a forest all night. Get in the shower, and I'll bring breakfast up." He finished as James laughed and they both left the dorm.

* * *

With only three inelegant casualties on the ice, the seniors filed through the snowy grounds into the glasshouses that morning and milled around the center workbench, which was remarkably clear and clean considering the usual clutter that covered every surface. The air was heavy with the smell of compost and the heat was surprising given the contrast of the bitter cold outdoors.

As Cherie uncoiled her long burgundy scarf from around her neck, she suddenly snapped her fingers in remembrance. "Mel, Mum and Dad are throwing their usual Christmas Eve party and she sent me an owl while you were away, asking if you guys wanted to come."

"I'm definitely going," Lily said as she tugged at her woolen gloves until they came off with a sudden flick. "Do you remember the fruit mince pies from last year? To. Die. For."

"Phoenix is coming too. I can't believe it, but he really wants to meet my parents!" Cherie exclaimed. "Anyway, do you want to come? It'll be the usual pretentious guests, but the house elves always go all out in the kitchen."

"Thanks for the invite, but Dad's coming home from St Mungos on Friday." Amelia couldn't contain her smile.

"That's so great!" Cherie hugged her friend tightly. "Did you hear, Dad's the prosecutor for that case. The guys that attacked your Dad will be facing life in Azkaban, by the new year."

Behind them, someone was heard clearing their throat and a bare hand reached through to touch Amelia on the elbow. Turning, she saw Remus standing there and gave an involuntary shudder. His face, which was previously scored with an apologetic grain, crumbled before her and was replaced with the expression of a crushed man.

"Ne-nevermind." Remus backed away hurriedly and went to stand at the furthest end of the workbench. Remus had seen the familiar flash of fear across her eyes, and fell into a deep self-loathing spiral.

"What was all that about?" Cherie asked Amelia.

"Yea, did you have a fight?" Lily looked from Amelia to Remus, and back again, noting their complete avoidance of each other.

"Something like that," Amelia muttered non-descriptly as their teacher wheeled a large red wheelbarrow into the glasshouse, the wheel squeaking loudly with each rotation. It was overloaded with small plants that resembled Venus flytraps, with the exception of their occasional belch of green flame.

Amelia strained to listen to her professor as she explained that a snow storm was on its way and the flame produced by the small plants would elevate and regulate temperatures in the glasshouses, but her words simply went in one ear and out the other. The next thing she knew, the class were being sent off in small groups to each of the glasshouses.

"I'm getting the tools!" Cherie quickly announced, not desiring close proximity with the organic fertilizer, nor a repeat of the time she was attacked by the mandrake plant she had once been sent to fetch.

"Okay, I'll get the fertilizer." Lily waved her wand and an enchanted sack of fertilizer marched obediently toward her. "Mel, do you want to get a tray of Mars fire belchers and meet us in glasshouse two?"

If Lily hadn't gestured to the students queuing to collect the plants, Amelia would not have had a clue what she had been asked to do. Free of her nursing instincts, her mind was suddenly ablaze with the questions she should have asked the previous night and nothing else was penetrating through this distraction. Amelia joined the queue and waited for the professor to hand her a tray of loudly burping plants when she suddenly found Sirius at her side.

"We need to talk," she could hear the urgency in his voice. "Meet me in the library straight after herbology." The professor then handed each of them their trays and ushered them in opposite directions toward their allocated glasshouses.

Class seemed to drag on forever, and even the excitement of Cecilia somehow setting her hair on fire did nothing to speed it up with each second passing as if wading slowly through molasses. There was one particular question burning in Amelia's brain and, no matter how she looked at it, her own answers just seemed to get wilder. Finally all of the plants had been transplanted and before they felt the urge to dress in grass skirts and coconut bras in the newly tropical temperature, the class was dismissed early.

An avid reader, no one was surprised when Amelia left for the library before lunch. She searched between each aisle for Sirius and found him in a small alcove next to a dusty shelf of long-forgotten history of magic texts.

"Wait," Amelia cut Sirius off as he opened his mouth to speak, knowing that if she didn't ask now, she may never do it. "Before anything else, I have to know. You… the dog… you were there for me the night I heard my father had been attacked. You came each week to meet me at the train. Why?"

Sirius had felt this question coming on, and after the onslaught of truth he had granted her in the last 12 hours, he had already decided he would not lie now. Despite this determination, it did not make it any easier for the words to form on his tongue.

"When I saw you that night, you were so upset and I didn't have it in me to leave you all alone." He suddenly found his shoelaces mesmerizing as he remembered back to the distraught figure he saw sprinting from the castle in the moonlight. "I wanted to go up to you, as me, and ask you if everything was okay… to look after you. But you had made it clear you hated me and knowing that I would be the last person you would want to see I had to check on you, and comfort you, in my animagus form or not at all."

Glancing up, he was surprised to see Amelia had not run away.

"I didn't mean to lie to you, I just meant to see that you were okay," he paused. His head was still bowed low, but he peered up at her cautiously from beneath the fringe that fell over his eyes. "But, I just enjoyed being with you so much and keeping you company that I kept coming to meet you at the train. I couldn't help it."

"Uhm, what did you want to see me for?" She said lightly, changing the subject.

"It's Remus."

"Yea?" She prompted warily.

"He's leaving." Amelia's mouth gaped slightly, taken aback by this news. "He's upstairs right now, packing his bags." Sirius continued calmly and without judgement.

"I… thanks." Amelia dropped onto a worn armchair beneath a flickering lamp.

"I just thought you'd want to know." Sirius turned and began to walk away.

"Sirius," she called him back. "For the record, I've never hated you."


	22. Constant Vigilance

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: "Constant vigilance"**

When Sirius returned to the boys' dormitory the first thing that struck him was the fact that one corner of the room was unusually tidy. No clothes lay on the floor in their pitiful attempt to reach the laundry basket and the familiar teetering stack of books was absent from Remus' desk.

"You can't be serious about this," Peter's voice travelled out of the adjacent bathroom as Sirius quietly entered the room and sat passively on his bed.

"Hogwarts is for students, not monsters." Remus said simply as he re-entered the room carrying his toothbrush with Peter and James in tow.

"You're being stupid." Peter accused as he snatched the toothbrush from the Remus' grasp.

"I can buy another toothbrush," he shrugged nonchalantly and began to empty his drawers into the already half-filled trunk.

"Moony, Wormtail's right," James stepped in to catch a pair of balled up socks which were flying toward the open trunk. "You can't leave, not now. You would be throwing your whole future away."

"My future? My future?" Remus spun into a rage and threw a shirt with great vehemence. "It doesn't matter how many Newts I pass, I have NO future! My future, and my life, was stolen from me at age six, and I can never get that back!

"I tried to deny it. I tried to fight it. I tried to find some semblance of normality. But the fact is, I am a monster." He deliberately pronounced each syllable. "What is normal, is for me to be outcast from society before I can do this to anyone else, and the sooner I accept that, the better." Breathing heavily from his outburst Remus slammed the now empty drawer closed and roughly tugged at the next to resume packing.

"When have the four of us ever conformed to 'normality', Remus?" James asked, talking to his back. "We have always stuck together through thick and thin, and we're not going to let you do something you'll regret!"

"You don't know what it's like!" Remus' voice broke under the weight of his emotions. "You don't have to see the looks of fear and disgust that cross people's faces when they see you. You can't know what it's like!"

"Don't you think that people look at me funny, too?" Peter piped up. "I'm short, clumsy, not very good looking, and I don't even have the wit or smarts to make up for it. And at dinner last night, I let rip a fart and the look that Cherie gave me was one of absolute disgust."

"Are you seriously comparing the lethality of your flatulence to the blood thirsty demon inside me?" Remus said incredulously.

"To be fair, his gas is pretty toxic," James conceded.

"Sirius, talk some sense into him," Peter appealed to their friend who remained quiet in the corner.

"Moony knows we're always here for him, but he also knows that as animagi we're not endangered by his presence here."

"At least one of you understand," Remus turned back to his packing.

"What's there to understand?" Peter was puzzled.

Sirius took a slow breath. "Our opinions don't matter. We aren't the ones in danger. If he wants to go, none of us can stop him."

"Not helping, Padfoot," James coughed out as there was a soft knock at the door.

Sirius crossed the room and opened the door just in time to see a flash of brown hair disappearing down the stairs at the end of the short hallway. Placed on the floor was a small white envelope addressed to Remus. Sirius stooped to pick it up and reentered the dormitory, pulling the door firmly closed behind him.

"Remus, mail." Sirius called lobbing it across the room, forcing Remus to react and reach out to snatch it from the air. Remus considered the envelope and drew out a small folded piece of parchment from it. As he read the delicate handwriting, Remus fought back the tears at the back of his throat and upon reaching the end of the note he abruptly left the room and locked himself in the bathroom.

Sirius reached into Remus' trunk and pulling out a large stack of books, he returned them to their usual post on the large wooden desk. "He's staying." Sirius said simply. Peter and James didn't argue, nor question, they just got up and helped him to continue unpacking.

Meanwhile, Remus was slumped against the bath, reading and re-reading the short letter that had given him hope.

_Dear Remus,_

_I want you to know that although I am still in shock from last night, I do not believe I am upset with you, nor have my feelings toward you altered in the slightest._

_You are, as you always have been, the brother I never had and as such, I will always care for you._

_Sirius told me that you are leaving, and I just hope that he was misinformed. I will sincerely miss you if you go. So much so, that I think you should stay, at least until Christmas. You can still be gone before the next full moon, if that's what you ultimately decide to do._

_~ Mel_

* * *

The heavy doors to the great hall were pushed open and Auror Moody walked boldly into the group of students. He pushed his sandy hair back off of his forehead and shunted his rolled cuffs further up his dark forearms as the students silently fell into a semi-circle around him.

"Master Frederickson!" Moody spun around and focused the lone student, who was still talking, in a cool hard stare.

"Yes, Sir?" Moody had gained his full attention.

"Three weeks we have been together. What have you learnt?" Moody raised his hand with three fingers spread out in the air.

"Uh, well, we started with defensive spells, so I learnt the likes of expelliarmus." Moody curled one finger back towards him as the Hufflepuff recalled their earlier classes. "Then we covered offensive spells, where I sent the world's most epic bat bogey hex at Shaun."

Moody grunted, stopping the boy's laughter, as he curled another finger down.

The boy cleared his throat. "And last week, we covered wandless magic." He recalled.

"Very good, Master Frederickson." The boy let out a sigh of relief as Moody addressed the entire class again. "Your defensive skills were commendable, but remember, the most important thing is to be sharp and strong with your wand movements. When curses come flying at you in battle, speed is critical.

"As you are students, the Minister and Dumbledore won't allow me to teach you the really good offensive spells in practice," he muttered something under his breath that none of the students were able to catch. "Anyway, head off to Madam Pince for a selection of books I recommend for a bit of theory." Moody continued, pacing before the class.

"Finally, we explored wandless magic. How many of you have practiced this since last week?" Most hands rose in the air. "And how many of you succeeded?" Half of the students lowered their hands.

"Miss Evans," Moody called upon Lily, who still had her hand raised in the air. "What can you tell us about wandless magic?"

"Well," she hesitated, unsure of where to start. "Wands aren't really needed, are they? I mean, they do magnify the power of your spells, but otherwise they are just a vessel to channel the magic through. Once you realize that, it takes away the intimidation factor and makes it so much easier."

"Good observation, Miss Evans." Moody nodded in agreement. "Wandless magic is never as strong, and even with expert stamina you will find yourself drained and exhausted very quickly, but she is right. The power does not come from the wand; the power comes from the witch or wizard. Try closing your eyes and hold a quill in your hand as if it were a wand, and see how you progress."

"Sir?" a blonde Ravenclaw raised his hand. "Would that advice not have been more timely last week?"

"No." He said simply with a smile. "The best learnings come from trial and error. Knowing what doesn't work is easier to recognize under times of pressure, rather than trying to recall the needle in the haystack that is a 'correct' approach."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed, but Moody appeared not to notice as he paired the class up into their dueling pairs. He then turned and conjured a large set of bleachers at one end of the hall.

"Today, I will not teach as much as I will test. Today's lesson is all about survival – the object of the game being to be the last witch or wizard standing." Moody said as he walked cleanly between the long lines of students facing each other. "Once you have been disarmed, you have ten seconds to improve your situation or you may forfeit and sit on the bleachers at the back of the room." When every pair has dueled and a winner identified, the winners will be paired up for the next round, and so on until we have the last ones standing.

"In, or out, observe your class mates. Learn from their mistakes, learn from their successes." He concluded as he reached the end of the row and turned back to face them once more. "Remember, constant vigilance, and, duel!"

Sparks, and even a couple of students, flew around the room and the bleachers at the back of the room soon began to fill up. Having being peered with James from the outset, Sirius soon found himself out and sitting on the bleachers next to Amelia.

"Has he gone?" Amelia asked. She didn't need to use names for him to know she was asking after Remus.

"No, he has said he'll stay at least until the next full moon," he smiled. "Whatever you said made the difference. He's upstairs unpacking now."

"That's good." she said resolutely, although she had difficulty putting a convincing air of braveness to her tone. "He's our friend, and he deserves to live his life free of prejudice."

"Exactly," Sirius nodded and steeled himself for the conversation ahead. "There was one thing he asked me to talk to you about though."

Amelia's wide brown eyes looked to his questioningly.

"He is truly sorry for what could have been last night and doesn't expect you to ever fully forgive him, nor want to be alone with him again."

"I'm sure with time things will get better," she said the words so deliberately it was as though she were trying to reassure herself of that fact more than convince him.

"Nevertheless, Remus wants to give you an easy out. He thinks the ball would be too soon for things to be back to 'normal', and he asked me to tell you he no longer intends to take you to the ball. He knows that he had promised to take you, and to save you from DuGray, but he thought that perhaps," Sirius forced a large lump down in his throat, "if you wanted, that perhaps I could escort you instead."

Sirius thought he might die in the silence that followed as Amelia subconsciously chewed at her bottom lip. He had been dreaming of taking her to the ball and now with those foolish words hanging in the air in front of him he only wished he could take each one of them back to save him from the pending humiliation.

"I appreciate the thought, but what about your date?"

"I don't have one; the girl I wanted to go with was going with someone else."

"Was?" Amelia's cheeks flushed pink.

Sirius nodded and locked her in his gaze. "Amelia, would you like to go to the ball with me?" He asked, his voice light and husky.

She bobbed her head in a subtle nod and a smile spread involuntarily across Sirius' face as he felt a wash of relief overcome him.

"But only on one condition," his stomach suddenly dropped as she placed a contingency on her acceptance. He knew she would never want to go with him; that she would never have said yes. "All seniors deserve to attend their ball, and Remus shall too. Tell him I still want him to come, and that I'll save him a dance. He's my friend and he should be there."

Sirius beamed, he could not have loved this girl more than he did at that very moment.

Meanwhile Cherie was moving swiftly as she dodged the attack of her Ravenclaw partner and ducking out of the way of a curse launched at her she smelt the pungent whiff of burnt hair.

"You bitch!" She shrilled, physically lunging herself at her opponent bringing them both down to the padded mat under their feet.

Chuckling, Moody levitated the two girls apart. "Enough for you, I think. Back up to your dorms to settle down."

With a dark scowl Cherie inspected the tips of her charred hair and Moody walked alongside her as she exited the great hall.

"Off the record, nice move!" he said approvingly before returning his attention to the class just as two of the last four duelers were defeated.

Her hair hanging over her face, Lily held her wand firmly in her right hand and her opponent's in the other, the two wands were crossed like swords at the neck of her opponent who was flat on his back.

At the opposite end of the hall, Gerry Garcia of Slytherin was bound tightly in a leg locking curse and had gone blue in the face trying to use wandless magic to get one over on James who, with a cheesy grin on his face, ran a hand through his hair.

Moody set of a loud round of clapping in the great hall as he slapped his great hands together and the students followed in kind. "Congratulations! We are down to our final two."

Lily and James looked up in surprise, not knowing that they had made it so far and that they were to face each other in the final round.

"Class, please observe Master Potter and Miss Evans closely for they are showing remarkable technique which I believe that you could all learn from. But, what is the one thing that you can remind them of right now?" Moody raised one hand to his ear and awaited the response.

He was met with silence before one student tentatively replied, "Constant vigilance?"

"I can't hear you. What can you remind them of?"

"Constant vigilance." The class said in unison from the bleachers.

"One more time."

"Constant vigilance!" They called out clearly and mechanically.

"Constant vigilance," Moody nodded his head towards Lily and James as they stood 6 feet apart in the centre of the room and bowed deeply, neither taking their eyes off of the other. "And, duel!"

Lily prowled in a wide circle like a tiger moving her wand swiftly to deflect any curses that he fired towards her. "Is that all you've got Potter?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to hurt you." He smiled.

Lily shrugged her eyebrows and beckoned him forward with her left hand.

Accepting her challenge he advanced like a fencing champion, jabbing his wand forward in a series of offensive attacks that she gracefully deflected as she leapt to the side and spun away from him as he pursued her, her hair twirling in a wide circle around her. Crouching low, Lily began on the offence and with flashes of bright blue James' spells intercepted each and every one of her attacks. The pair found themselves evenly matched.

James had Lily locked in his sights as they circled one another, dodging and deflecting curses as they passed them rhythmically back and forth, when from nowhere he felt his hand yanked fiercely to his side and his wand slipping from his hands as it arched across the room. Before he could gain his bearings a blue flash of light then flew towards Lily and he dove towards her, pulling her to the ground where he raised a hand and, with all of his strength summoned a simple shield spell. The force of the attacking spell cracked the shield and the remaining strength caught James' shoulder. As he finally found his bearings, James saw Moody advancing on them with his wand working to break down the stronger shield that Lily had cast above the two of them.

"Accio wand!" Lily shouted, and James' wand obediently sped back across the room and landed in her palm where she passed it off to James just as Moody broke through her shield and engaged the pair in full attack.

The students were sitting on the edge of the bleachers as they watched their professor advance on Lily and James without any sign of compassion in his relentless attack.

Lily and James fought together and began to encircle Moody so his two targets were either side of him and he had to work twice as hard to defend himself and catch them off guard.

Lily's wand move skillfully and sharply as she sent eloquently laced spells at Moody whilst James moved boldly as he dodged blazes of light sent in his direction and returned with his own attacks full of gusto. Moody smoothly waved his wand in a constant figure eight, conjuring a spell which simultaneously spread toward both of them before engulfing him in a large white bubble that deflected their next spells, just long enough for him to spin on the spot and disapparate from where he stood.

James and Lily panted as their eyes scanned the great hall for any sign of Moody, and they both instantly spun towards the sign of movement in the back corner, stopping just short of jinxing Mrs Norris as the cat lazed into the room. While Lily turned again, so she was back to back with James as she scanned the other half of the room, James' eyes followed Mrs Norris as she rubbed up against the edge of the bleachers.

"Stupify!" James shouted boldly, a bright flash of red exploding from the tip of his wand and hitting Mrs Norris square in the side.

Screams came from the students on the bleachers as the cat lay motionless on the ground and James crossed the room as his peers watched on in alarm and Lily followed.

"Come on, up you get. Revellio." James said gently with one final spell. Before their very eyes, the cat vanished and in it's spot Moody sat there laughing.

"Constant vigilance," Moody again nodded his head approvingly as he laughed, and nervous laughter slowly rippled through the students. Moody swiftly pushed himself to his feet and bowed deeply before James and Lily, conceding defeat. "Until next semester."

Now the class cheered in support for their peers who had taken down an auror.

"Potter, Evans," Moody quietly pulled them to one side, unnoticed amongst the bustle of the students as they packed up the great hall and began to return to their common rooms. "I don't know what your plans are when you graduate, but I will be saving you both a spot on my team."

"Excuse me, sir?" Lily asked.

"In training many of my aurors could not manage the power and vigilance that the pair of you have shown this evening. Not to mention the seamless teamwork that the two of you showed together, I need that on my team and believe that with a bit of training I am certain you will both make brilliant aurors."

Lily and James looked at each other in surprise. James and his fellow marauders had always dreamed of making it onto one of the exclusive auror teams but he never thought he would make the cut. Lily on the other hand had never considered a career as an auror, but then she never really knew what she was going to do after school, the muggle careers she had aspired to her when she was younger now just felt such a bore without magic.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you very much." James gushed immediately.

"Take some time, talk it over with your folks over the holidays. Let me know what you decide. Good night." Moody smiled broadly before departing for bed himself.


	23. Save me a Dance

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: "Save me a dance"**

The castle was alive with a buzz of electric excitement. The last day of term had finally arrived and the students eagerly awaited the school ball before departing home in the morning for Christmas. In the top-most turret of the Gryffindor tower, Amelia and Cherie were getting ready for the ball.

"Zip me up?" Cherie spun around and dropped her dress over her feet as she swept her straight hair, black with purple highlights for the occasion, over her shoulder.

"I love this colour," Amelia zipped the dress up the other girls' back.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Cherie smiled, doing a twirl in front of the mirror, admiring the soft purple fabric as it undulated to reveal a black skirt beneath it. "Do you want some help with your make up?"

"No, I'm done now." Amelia said getting up from the vanity wearing a light layer of foundation and an invisible line of shea lip balm over her lips.

"No you're not," Cherie pushed her back down onto the small stool before dusting the makeup brush over a rouge blush and circling it over Amelia's cheekbones. "You shouldn't be afraid to use actual colour, you know."

At that very minute, Lily burst into the room, looking flushed and short of breath.

"How much time do I have?" she asked rapidly as she practically tripped out of her shoes and ran to the bathroom to wash her face.

"Fifteen minutes," Cherie answered her. "Where have you been anyway? I thought we finished setting up the hall a couple of hours ago?"

"We had," Lily's voice was muffled as she pulled her sweater over her head. "But James had this one last idea, so we've been in the hall with Flitwick. I think you're really going to like it."

"What was his idea?" Amelia asked curiously as Lily bustled back into the room.

"You'll have to wait and see," she smiled briefly before her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's this?" She held up a small box, which had been placed on the green dress that lay across her bed.

A wide smile stretched across Cherie's and Amelia's faces as they shared a meaningful look.

"An owl came for you while you were out. We think it's from him."

Lily considered the white box and wondered what her admirer had sent to her wrapped so prettily, and whether she would ever know who he was. Every time a boy so much as spoke to her both Amelia and Cherie would begin speculating if he was the guy, with each of them sneaking glances at the style of his script to match to the anonymous letters, but they had not even come close.

"Open it, already!" Cherie urged Lily impatiently, as she finished applying Amelia's eye makeup and handed her a purposely-selected lipstick. Amelia looked at the rich red tone with some doubt before carefully applying it.

Lily tugged at the bow atop the box and let the ribbon fall loose as she opened it. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat upon seeing, cushioned inside of the small box, an ornate filigree slide comb.

"Wow, we need to find out who this guy is and send him shopping with Phoenix!" Cherie admired the hair comb as the light bounced off of the small gems encrusted in it.

"There was a note too," Amelia picked the overlooked envelope up off of the bed.

"Read it aloud as I dress?" Lily requested already wriggling into her dress as Cherie tamed Lily's hair with rapid wand movements until her face was framed with soft red curls.

Amelia slid her thumb beneath the seal on the envelope and drew out a small card with few words carefully scribed in the now familiar, yet still anonymous, script. "'_Dearest Lillian. If you may accept my company on this fine evening, I will be yours forever. If you choose to wear this comb as a symbol of your wishes, I shall request your presence on the dance floor at 9pm.'_" she read aloud.

"You mean, I'll finally know who has been sending me flowers and such sweet poetry?" Lily asked incredulously as she fastened her shoe around her ankle.

"It sounds like it," Amelia said, handing the note to Lily before heading back toward the large wardrobe in the corner of the room.

"And it's about time! I was wondering if he would ever have the guts to make his move." Cherie slid the comb through the red curls over Lily's left eye and turned to see Amelia shrugging into a cropped brown cardigan.

"Wait, what do you think you're doing? You can't wear that!" Cherie said disbelievingly, pulling it off as she spoke.

"Hey, I bought it specially for tonight!" Amelia reached out for the cardigan. "What's the problem? It matches!"

"You're not hiding this stunning dress"

"But it's strapless, I can't go out just like this." She self-consciously pulled the top of her floor-length dress higher over her chest.

Cherie climbed over her bed and opening the window wide she threw the cardigan outside where it was caught by the wind and snagged on a stone gargoyle edging the roof below. "There, now you have to." She grinned as Amelia hung out the window, her mouth agape in shock.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Remus asked for the sixth time since the boys had come downstairs to the common room, in their dress robes.

"Yes! Yes he is!" Peter exclaimed rolling his eyes.

"Yea, Moony, Mel wants you to come. It was her one condition, or I don't think she was going to go herself." Sirius insisted.

"Okay, I'll make an appearance." Remus agreed nervously, while looking around wondering if he still had time to bail back upstairs.

A movement at the top of the girls' stairwell caught Sirius' eye. Cherie walked boldly down the stairs with Lily a step behind, a moment later, Amelia appeared on the stairs her hand gliding gracefully across the bannister railing as she walked, careful not to trip on the hem of her long brown dress. Sirius lost the capacity for coherent thought as his eyes followed up the soft folds of the fabric to the soft, fair skin over her shoulders.

Sirius was shunted forward as James walked into his shoulder with a nudge. Sirius turned his head sharply to see James give him an all-knowing smile and a wink.

"Lily!" James called the girls over. "You ready for this snowball dance thing?"

As James drew Lily and Cherie's attention towards himself, Sirius approached Amelia.

"You look amazing." He said simply, unable to keep his eyes off of her.

"You scrub up pretty good yourself," Amelia bowed her head shyly and avoiding eye contact she subconsciously played with her earring, unknowingly drawing his attention to the nape of her neck which, except for a simple silver chain, lay bare and exposed beneath the low knot of her hair. "Hey Remus."

"Hi Mel," Remus returned with a tentative smile.

"I'm pleased you're coming." Seeing Remus now she wondered what she had ever been afraid of. This Remus was the same Remus she had always known, and despite her now knowing a bit more about him, it didn't change who he was.

* * *

Severus stood in front of the bathroom mirror and again ran his hand through his hair, sweeping it back to one side and then back again before combing it back into the usual straight, centred part. He had to endure the snowball dance as Lily and James spun in the middle of the dance floor, with light flakes of snow magically drifting down over them from the enchanted ceiling above. Rumour has it the snow was an idea from Prince Potter himself. Severus secretly loathed the fact that James was responsible for creating the romantic atmosphere on the most important night of his life, but hoped to exploit it as he revealed himself to Lily.

He knew it was nearing 9 o'clock. Soon everything would be out in the open and he would have Lily on his arm, finally his, forever more. It could not have been more perfect, he had loved her for years and after months of admiring her from afar he would sweep her off her feet as the clock chimed nine times over the great hall. Everything had to be perfect for her, he thought as he smoothed his hair yet again and checked his breath. Noticing how damp his palms had become, Severus ran his gently trembling hands along the sides of his dress robes and took his first step toward his future.

With his pockets considerably lighter, now free of the galleons he had used to bribe the musicians to play a slow song once the clock chimed nine, Severus walked back into the great hall and searched the throng of students for Lily. His eyes were instantly drawn to her like a magnet and he couldn't get over her beauty. She stood alone in front of a 12 foot Christmas tree and he saw that she was wearing the slide comb she had brought him, the green sparkle of the encrusted gems perfectly setting off her bright hair and matching her dress. Severus smiled as her eyes kept glancing up at the tall clock on the far wall and then looking around the group of dancing students, awaiting her admirer to show himself. Awaiting Severus himself.

Casually, Severus skirted the great hall and stood around the side of the large tree, trying to steady his breathing as he ran his sweaty palms over his robes. As the clock began to chime and his requested slow song, Lily's favourite, began to play, Severus closed his eyes and took one last deep breath to steel himself before opening his eyes and beginning to round the broad base of the large tree to where his Lily awaited.

A nervous smile played at the edge of his lips and he turned the corner to see his worst nightmare playing out before his very eyes. He never could have imagined anything like this, but there _he_ was, James Potter, walking up to Lily as the clock let out its final chime. Frozen to the spot, Severus couldn't move for the fear of James yet again screwing up his destiny.

"Hey Lily, how are you enjoying your night?" James asked, confidence dripping in the sound of his loathesome voice.

"Okay," she shrugged and tucked her hair behind her left ear with a warming smile that melted Severus' heart.

The glimmering gems sparkling from the haircomb, that Severus had carefully picked out and paid off over weeks, caught James' attention and he raised his hand toward it and brushed his hand over Lily's hair and the embedded comb. "This really suits you." He said simply.

Severus wanted to run out there and throw his fist into James' smug face for ruining this moment.

"Thank you," her cheeks flushed pink.

"So, did you save me a dance?" James stole the lines right from Severus' script.

The screams echoed in his mind as Severus watched in disbelief as Lily nodded her head slightly and accepted James' proffered arm. He had stood by helplessly for a full minute before he realized that his inaction had allowed James to literally waltz off with his darling Lily, taking in the reward of all the hard work Severus had been doing to win her over for himself.

Lily and James moved freely on the dance floor, naturally swaying to the time of the music. While many students were fixated by the dancing efforts of their teachers, Severus stared blindly through them as he watched James spin Lily in circles, each one taking her further away from him.


	24. The Mind Never Lies

_I always said that I would finish this story on Halloween (it just seems fitting, doesn't it?) So here it is, 31st October, and this is the first of my final chapters which will all be posted over the next week. If you're still reading, thank you, and enjoy :)_

_~CannS_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: "The mind never lies"**

James could have had any girl he wanted, why did he have to leech after Lily? Why could she not see through Potter's guise and finally see the guy who had always been there, waiting for her. When would she ever see Severus?

Severus' throat constricted and tears prickled at the back of his eyes as he practically ran past the dungeons towards the Slytherin common room. He reached a long corridor lined with smooth stone and came to a stop and slammed the side of his fist against the bare wall. Falling against the wall, he rested his forehead against the cold stone, his ragged breathing magnified in the quiet solitude of the dungeons.

Placing both hands either side of him, he pushed himself back off of the wall and muttered the Slytherin password. The wall began to dissolve in front of him to reveal a wide-open arch and, expecting solitude, he was taken aback to see half a dozen students loitering within.

Across the room, Bellatrix had her leg poised on the arm rest of a leather couch, her skirt was bunched around the top of her thigh as she fastened a black leather garter around her leg. Without conscious thought, Severus found himself making great strides across the room until he stopped just short of her.

"I'm in." He didn't know where the words came from, but felt the strength of the conviction in his voice.

Without lifting her gaze, she began to slip three silver daggers into the garter strapped around her leg. "No, you're not."

Severus reached through the thick mane of hair that veiled her face and lifted her chin, locking her in a defiant stare.

"I'm _all_ in." He stated firmly.

Bellatrix's heavy stare locked on Severus' as they stayed like that in silence for a full minute before her blood red lips curled into a smile.

"Very well, my little prince. Get your cloak."

Soon Severus was trudging through the snow behind Phoenix, the Carrow siblings, and Evan Rosier, with Bellatrix boldly leading from the front as they approached the outskirts of Hogsmeade. He had no idea where they were going, or what they were doing. He just knew that it felt good to be doing something.

Eventually the young gang came to an old wooden house. Neatly pruned shrubs lined the footpath which was thick with unshovelled snow. The group filed up the footpath and Bellatrix pushed the door open, ushering them over the threshold littered with that weeks' mail. The house was cold and dark, with the distant sound of pulsating music, and Severus wondered what state the houses' owners would find their home in when they returned from their Christmas holiday.

Bellatrix pulled open a door and the others traversed past her and down the steep wooden staircase beyond. Severus tentatively followed the students towards the music where the lights were low. He felt mildly claustrophobic with the gathering exceeding the fair capacity of the small room at the base of the stairs. As the other students walked past and made themselves at home among the wider group, Severus paused on the bottom step and looked out across the room hesitantly.

"Relax. Enjoy yourself." Bellatrix sauntered down the last few stairs and crossed the room to be swept into some man's arms, his dark, bearded face disappearing as he nuzzled into her neck.

Severus watched, eyes wide as he saw his classmates merge seamlessly into this wild group. He sidled around the room, careful not to bump into people who were grinding on the makeshift dance floor, or trip over those entwined on the floor at the edge of the room.

"Drink?" a soft voice, dripping in honey, said as a glass of blue liquid, sparkling in a wide goblet appeared in front of him.

"I don't…" the words got caught in the back of Severus' throat as he saw the short redhead looking up at him. For the briefest fraction of a second he could have sworn this girl, with the same auburn hair glowing warm in the light cast by the candelabras mounted to the wall, was another. But her hazel eyes were flat and lacking the emerald sparkle he craved to see. He knew instead that his princess was wrapped up in the arms of none other than James Potter. Before he could allow himself to ponder on this fact and allowing his imagination to run free, torturing him further, Severus took the glass from the girl and drank it in one long breath. The firey liquid burned all the way down and churned wildly in his stomach.

"Severus." He introduced himself to the girl as the warmth flushed through his body.

"Melinda." She smiled and topped up his glass from a tall bottle with a long, narrow neck. "Cheers." She clinked their goblets together and Severus downed his second drink in time with her. He closed his eyes as a second wave of burning washed through him and, awaiting the chasing warmth to wash over him, he felt Melinda's warm, soft lips pressing against his mouth. He scant thought to resist when the alcohol took control and started running his hands over Melinda's back and up through her red hair as he kissed back. It was so freeing and mindless as he let his body instinctively respond in kind to her actions. The next hour continued in a whirlwind of distractions until Severus found himself pulled back down to reality by the sudden hush that settled over the room. Severus followed the gaze of everyone else in the room and saw a young man standing perfectly still at the top of the stairs.

The man, not a day over 30, wore a jet black cloak over a perfectly tailored and pressed grey suit with polished shoes. Unlike the other newcomers who had rushed down to join the party, this man lingered and watched over the others with a hint of a smile on his face before gliding down the stairs surrounded by an air of grace. His brown hair was styled sleekly, not a strand out of place, and his dark eyes twinkled. He had a smooth complexion and where Severus' pale skin was blinding, his was softly glowing in the dim lighting. He got to the bottom step and a broad smile cracked his face as Bellatrix rushed forward and handed him a goblet of still, green liquid.

"Thank you, Bella," He said smoothly, kissing her on the cheek.

'_Surely not'_, Severus thought to himself. _'But, he looks so… normal… handsome even.'_

The young man suddenly looked directly at Severus and for a moment, he would have sworn he must've spoken aloud.

"Fresh blood?" the man asked Bellatrix.

Bellatrix looked toward Severus and summoned him to come closer. Severus stood from the low bench and was surprised to find himself intoxicated as he swayed slightly on his feet. He paused for a moment before carefully walking forward to the couple.

"My Lord, this is Severus Snape and, for all intense purposes, our potions master."

Severus could not believe he was facing _the_ Lord Voldemort. The masked man who had featured in every Daily Prophet of the past year stood in front of him. He supposed he had expected Voldemort to be older; a tall, brutally butch man, perhaps with stubble and a rotten tooth in the front. Not this buff young man stood cleanly shaven in front of him.

"And he can be trusted?" It was as though they were talking without Severus in the room.

Bellatrix walked slowly around Severus, tracing her finger from one shoulder and over his back to his opposite shoulder. "He has proved his loyalty to the cause, haven't you, Severus?"

Severus nodded mutely as he watched the Dark Lord draw his wand out and toy with it between his fingers.

"And yet, a test is in order, I feel."

The Dark Lord looked pensive and Severus hoped the 'test' wouldn't be similar to Bellatrix's, where she had tortured him incessantly. He still felt the tenderness in his muscles when he got up each morning.

"Who, do you despise most in this world?" The Dark Lord asked out of the blue.

James Potter instantly came to mind but before Severus could even think of responding, a flash of light came from the tip of the Dark Lord's wand and he felt his guided thoughts being prodded and encouraged forward. Severus experienced the pervasive camera, of the Dark Lord's eye, delve into his mind and wind through his thoughts. His stomach churned with a violent, unyielding bitterness. While Severus' mind was drawn to the scene at the ball, with James reaching forward and tucking a curl of auburn hair behind Lily's ear, yet the next thing he knew, he saw the image in his mind lock onto the foreground to follow Dumbledore as he danced past with McGonagall.

He struggled to shake the invasive feeling of having someone penetrate his mind and rifle through his innermost thoughts. Where he had once shunned Flitwick's teaching of occlumency, he knew he would be dusting off his old books over Christmas for some revision. If he was 'all in' with this group, he knew he had to have some resistance and control over what he allowed them to see.

"Very interesting. Very interesting indeed. The mind never lies," The Dark Lord said nodding to himself. "Joining our league comes with the everlasting support of a family, but equal responsibilities. Do you come here willingly, whole-heartedly accepting these terms?"

Severus felt his mouth go dry and forced the lump in his throat down as he dipped his head in a slight nod. The Dark Lord's smile grew and he stepped forward and pulled Severus into an embrace before turning him to face the room.

"Attention! We have our newest member!" the Dark Lord announced to the room amid cheers. As the welcoming hubbub subsided, Severus was turned to face the Dark Lord again. "Severus Snape, present your forearm, and in doing so commit your allegiance to the wizarding movement that will save our world."

Severus tentatively offered his arm forward and had the sleeve of his cloak swept back ceremoniously by Bellatrix as the Dark Lord pointed the tip of his wand to the inside of his forearm. He turned slightly as he felt Bellatrix dig her fingertips deep into his shoulders and he understood why as the wandtip began to burn and his forearm was engulfed in black flame. His eyes were wide with surprise as the arm burnt on, but he remained steadfast beneath Bellatrix's grasp. As soon as it came, the burning pain disappeared and he saw a raised tattoo on his forearm – a snake intertwining with a skull – the mark of the Dark Lord.

"A toast to our newest!" Voldemort summoned a tray of drinks to him and offered one to Severus as he raised one himself.

He toasted with the room and downed his drink in one before pulling his cloak back down over the Dark Lord's mark. Forearm branded, he will wear sleeves forever.


	25. Phoenix

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: "Phoenix?"**

The shiny red train was unusually quiet as it wound its way through the snowy countryside, many of the students still catatonic at the early departure hour. Across from a napping Lily and Cherie, Amelia absent-mindedly pet Zell in her lap as she gazed out of the window. The ball the evening before had been simply magical.

Right from Sirius bowing deeply to greet her at the start of the night to sweeping her around the dance floor and bidding her goodnight, he was a perfect gentleman the entire night. She was puzzled as this was not the Sirius she had thought she knew the last six years. He had even helped to mend things between her and Remus. She had become afraid that she would never speak to her best friend again, yet Sirius managed to smooth the tension and reunite the pair.

As the train squealed into another station with a lurch, Cherie woke up with a yawn.

"Morning," Mel greeted her.

"Hey," she smiled back before looking down to Lily who was still sleeping with a peaceful grin plastered over her face. Cherie leant over her and softly called her name.

"James," Lily mumbled in her sleep, her smile still firmly in place.

"Woah, no, wake up." Cherie kicked her.

Lily stretched wide as she sat upright and rubbed at her eyes. "What? Are we there yet?"

"Who were you dreaming about?"

"No one."

"Eww, you were dreaming about Potter, and you liked it!" Cherie exclaimed, calling her out.

"Maybe," Lily smiled. "Hey, after all he has done the last few months, and working together on the ball, it's clear that he is making an effort to grow up."

"You may have a point about him growing up, but it's still nuts to think that he was the one admiring you from afar for so long." Amelia noted.

"Mmm," Lily pondered wistfully. "You know, he is kinda cute though. What, with that wind-swept hair, and dark brooding eyes."

"But it's Potter!" Cherie exclaimed. "Oh well, at least I know you won't be going after Phoenix any time soon."

The girls continued to discuss James the rest of the way to King's Cross Station, and into Cherie's awaiting chauffeured car.

A few moments later the long black car pulled to a stop and Amelia looked out of the window, thankful to have arrived home just as the conversation began to veer towards Sirius. She could do with a few days to process and save that particular gossip session until next semester.

"Merry Christmas," Amelia said exchanging hugs with Cherie and Lily. "Bye Phoenix. Thanks for the ride," she added to the teenage boy in the front passenger seat and to the Burkes' driver before taking up her bag and getting out of the vehicle. Amelia could feel the slight pull of weight in the back of her jacket and knew that Zell would be hiding away from the cold in the hood of her jacket again.

Green bursts of ivy were poking their way through the blanket of snow covering the old house she had grown up in. The footpath had recently been shoveled clear right up to the front door whose window was glowing with the light from beyond it.

"Nearly there, Zell." Amelia promised as she made her way up the footpath and through the front door. She set her bag down in the hallway mere seconds before she was engulfed in a hug from her mother.

"Darling, you're early! We were about to go and get you."

"We decided to take the early train back," Amelia said hanging her jacket up in the hallway where Zell sat up and peered over the edge of her hood at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"What have you got here, Mel?" her mother asked as she pet Zell's furry blue head.

"She's an orphan, her name is Zell." Amelia knew her mum would understand, she herself had had many abandoned and sick animals 'follow her home', some of which left again for the wild when they were well, but then there were those that never left.

"Well, she looks hungry, and so do you. Go and get yourself some soup from the pot over the stove, and I'll go get your father." Her mum said retreating up the stairs.

Amelia was greeted by hugs from her grandmother as she entered the kitchen, and was soon fussed over and seated at the table with a bowl of homemade soup. She spooned some of the soup into a shallow saucer and placed it on the table next to her for Zell, before helping herself to some of the freshly baked bread.

"Is everything okay, Grandma?" Amelia asked when she noticed that her grandmother had been scrutinizing her from across the table.

"She has bonded to you." She stated factually.

"Who has done what?" subconsciously, she paused from tearing pieces of bread into her soup.

Her grandmother's smile reached her eyes as she nodded towards Zell whose little hands had been tearing a chunk of bread and throwing it into the shallow saucer of soup in front of her.

"So what? She's picked up on some of my habits." Amelia flushed red as she put her bread to one side. Zell glanced up at her best friend and putting her chunk of bread down too, she began poking at the little floating pieces of bread, submerging them in the soup so they became soggy and sunk below the surface before eating them.

"It's more than that." Her grandmother said knowingly. "She's a radafemia, as the legend goes, they can choose to bond to another soul and forever be locked to it. Your physical talents become their magical talents – the two align and magnify. Your feelings are her feelings; your pains are her pains; your strengths are her strengths; your powers are her powers."

"Yea, but that's not the case here. That's just a legend." Amelia insisted. "Just like muggles who believe in the Loch Ness Monster."

"She clearly isn't the figment of a drunken sailor's imagination. But I'm sure you're right." Her grandmother said, quietly returning her attention again to her soup with a smile.

* * *

The Burke household was full of relatives and the business partners of each of them; lawyers, bankers, antiquities experts, and even a couple of ministers. Cherie could not have thought of anything more boring and was thankful to have Lily and Phoenix there for company. The three teenagers hid in a window seat behind one of the large, overly-decorated trees adorned with fireflies.

"Here," Phoenix pulled a small flask from his dress robes and three shot glasses. Each of the girls took one and he filled them in turn. "Merry Christmas," he raised his glass in toast and downed his drink as the girls followed.

With a kiss to Cherie's cheek he asked where the bathroom was.

"Go to the left of the stairs in the foyer, it's the last door on the left." She said as she refilled their glasses.

"Back in a minute, babe." He said with one last, long kiss before he left.

Careful to dodge being dragged into any of the adult conversations, he flitted out of the room and soon found himself in a large marble foyer. He began to walk to the left of the staircase but then, with a quick glance over his shoulder, turned back and light footedly bound up the stairs, three at a time. Along the upstairs landing he gently pushed at each door in search for something. He found a spare room, a ridiculously large walk-in wardrobe and a sewing room before he came across Cherie's bedroom.

With curiosity drawing him closer, he quietly slipped inside. The room had a lofted ceiling and its walls were painted the palest of blues. The animated photos sitting on her dresser caught his attention and he crossed the thick rug towards them. Lined up were several photos of Cherie with Lily and Amelia, family holiday snaps, and even a photo of Phoenix during his last quidditch match, but the one he gravitated towards was the photo of the three girls down at a river. Amelia was in a summer dress, reading at the edge of the water, Lily was swimming, her wild red hair tamed by the water, and Cherie was swinging back and forth on a tire swing above the water before gracefully arching off of it and diving perfectly into the smooth water below. Her smile lit up the whole picture.

Phoenix paused with his hand half way towards the photo, but then in one swift, decisive movement, he lifted the frame from the dresser and pushed it deep into his pockets before turning and leaving the room abruptly. It only took a few more doors before he found the one he was after. The mahogany door was firmly locked.

With a quick glance around, he listened for any sign of someone upstairs and once satisfied that the only sounds were that of the party continuing on downstairs, he crouched down and peered through the keyhole. At the centre of the room was a large wooden desk with heavy green drapes hanging behind it and a row of filing cabinets on each side.

He could feel the magical enchantments vibrating dully through the wood and he tucked his wand into the front of his robes for fear of triggering the magical breach alarm, which he knew would sound at any trace of penetrating magic being cast. Digging further into his robes he pulled out a small leather pouch full of muggle tools that Bellatrix had given him. He carefully selected two slender, silver tools and pushed them into the lock, carefully prodding until he heard the lock click undone. Stowing the tools and leather pouch into his robes, he pushed on the brass handle and let himself into the room, closing the door silently behind him

With the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Phoenix crept across the room and began tugging open drawers until he finally found what he was looking for. The stamp "Confidential" was marked across the front of it, as if those 12 letters formed a barrier that was capable of keeping prying eyes out. Rummaging further into the draw, he was able to retrieve several similar folders, full of incriminating evidence on the followers of the Dark Lord. The Lord himself had a surprisingly clean record; his brilliance was able to keep him out of ever leaving credible evidence behind that would hold up in court. Yet some of his followers had made foolish moves and were at risk of imprisonment before the critical night ahead. Phoenix smirked knowing that his master would not be hiding much longer, and with loyal followers at his side, he would never need to.

Phoenix checked over the files he had retrieved, his cousin's, Rodolphus LeStrange's, at the top. The folder contained the original, verified statements of muggle witnesses who had seen him 'playing' with muggles, hanging them upside down from power lines and such. Fenrir Greyback was also in the pile. Greyback had broken into an orphanage, young meat was always his favourite, and the few that survived that night are now scared and doomed to forever suffer the curse of the werewolf. There were half a dozen folders in his pile, each with similar tales of cruelty. Phoenix finally had access to the prosecuting lawyer's files in order to delay proceedings just long enough for what they needed to do. Then there would be no running and no hiding.

He slipped the folders into the front of his dress robes and held them close to his body. Careful to leave the rest of the office looking untouched, he listened at the door for a full minute to be sure he was alone upstairs before pulling the door open and carefully slipping back into the corridor, locking the door behind him.

"Phoenix?" Cherie emerged from the party and caught him half way down the stairs with the front door in his sights.

"Someone was in the downstairs bathroom." He lied through his teeth. "But I'm not feeling well, I think I'm going to have to go home now." Another lie flowed freely from his lips.

"Okay babe, get better soon and I'll see you in a couple of days, okay?" Cherie kissed him on the cheek before he made his way out the door, clutching the folders close to his chest.

* * *

_7 Chapters to go... :)_

_(expect them to be loaded every 12-24 hours, inbetween that time consuming thing called life)_

_~CannS_


	26. Merry Christmas

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: "Merry Christmas"**

It was Christmas morning and all of the English countryside was blanketed in a fresh dusting of snow. The rolling hills looked like soft marshmallows undulating into the distance around the small hamlet where a grand house stood at the end of a short cul de sac. Cherie stretched awake as the scent of maple syrup permeated through the house, a sure sign that her mother was downstairs making her famous pancakes, a family tradition each holiday.

Cherie rolled out of bed and pushed her feet into a pair of soft white slippers before wrapping a robe around herself and padding her way downstairs to the kitchen where, sure enough, a stack of pancakes were already growing in the centre of an ornate platter which sat in the middle of the bench. Her mother flipped another pancake onto the plate and ladled the next one into the hot pan.

"Merry Christmas, Mum," Cherie crossed the kitchen and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Good morning, darling. Can you please call your father and tell him that breakfast is ready? He's in his office."

"Okay," Cherie trudged her way upstairs to her father's office and knocked on the heavy wooden door before poking her head inside.

"Dad, Mum's made pancakes."

"Mmm," he said non-responsively as he rifled through his desk. The doors to the filing cabinet behind him were wide open and folders pulled out at random intervals. "I could have sworn…" he said more to himself than anything as he pulled the top drawer of his desk open again and had a second look.

"What are you looking for?"

"Just… never mind, it can't be far. I'll be down in a minute, hun."

Cherie left her father to his chaotic mess and made her way downstairs. On her way to the kitchen, she couldn't help but sneak into the family room and steal a peek at the presents beneath the tree. A large package in silver paper sat beneath the tree from her parents, surrounded by a collection from distant relatives and a present each from Lily and Amelia which had arrived overnight, but she was secretly disappointed not to see one from Phoenix.

When she walked back down the hall and into the dining room, she saw that the table was laid out with the finest silver. A large tray of pancakes sat in the centre of the table alongside a jug of freshly warmed maple syrup, a bowl of mixed berries and a fresh pot of coffee.

"Where's your father?" Cherie's mum looked up as Cherie entered the room.

"He said he'd be down soon. He's lost something."

Cherie's mother tutted and shook her head. "Does he not know what today is? Today is family day, not a work day." Her mother got up from the table and made her way towards the stairs. "No starting until everyone is at the table", she called over her shoulder, as though she had eyes in the back of her head to catch Cherie reaching for a ripe, red strawberry from the top of the bowl.

As though scolded, she pulled her hand away from the food and went to the roller table in the corner of the dining room. She pulled the roller up as it squeaked and pulled out a quill and piece of parchment.

_'Merry Christmas, Lily!'_ she scribed. _'Thanks for the Christmas present. I haven't opened it yet... opening presents is to be done as a family, but typically Dad's still working. I think I hear Mum dragging Dad downstairs now. Have a great Christmas, and I'll see you in a couple of days.'_

Cherie rolled the parchment and with a whistle a small tawny owl flew into the room and obediently stuck it's leg out to receive the short letter before flying off into the distance, the snow falling freely around it.

* * *

Lily was sat at the edge of the couch in the family room of her parent's house, her mouth agape as she looked at her petite sister and the rounder Vernon with his hand upon her shoulder. His caterpillar-moustache still hadn't grown in.

"Oh, my!" Her mother gasped. "What a, what a surprise!" She went forward and hugged Petunia as their father shook Vernon's hand. Petunia wrapped her arms around their mother and Lily could see the small diamond sparkling on her left hand. Her own sister, engaged. And Lily didn't even have a boyfriend.

Petunia was giddy with excitement and as her parents pulled out a bottle of wine Lily couldn't take much more of it. In her sisters' eyes, Lily wasn't to be part of this celebration, and she knew it. A witch such as herself would only reluctantly be given an invitation, and she would never be her sister's bridesmaid.

"Lily," her mother called after her as she went to leave the room.

"Bathroom," Lily lied over her shoulder as she took the stairs two at a time and retreated to her room. She lay on the bed and stared silently at the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

After an exhausting morning of sledding down the street James and Sirius were sat by the fire drinking hot chocolates and playing wizard's chess.

"So, when are you going to ask her out?" James asked.

Sirius looked up alarmed. "What?"

James just smiled and took another sip from his steaming mug.

"No, I couldn't. She doesn't see me that way."

"Well, I distinctly feel Amelia doesn't find you as repulsive as you may think."

Sirius knitted his brows. "What gave you that idea?"

"I have barely heard her say two words before. Yet she spent nearly the whole night of the ball talking to you."

"She used to talk to Remus all the time, they never dated." Sirius pointed out. "Did they?" he asked as a sudden wave of concern washed over him. The marauders had vowed to never break the 'bro code'.

"No, but they were friends. Each as nerdy as the other." James stated. "When was the last time you read for pleasure. And magazines don't count." He clarified as Sirius went to respond.

Sirius took a long drink from his mug and swallowed slowly as he gazed into the flames in the fire grate. "Do you think I'd ever have a chance?"

"Yea, I do." He answered truthfully.

"Whatever. I'm sure I have about as much chance with Amelia, as you do with Evans." Sirius said jokingly as they heard a thump against a window outside. The boys looked towards the noise and saw an owl dizzily wobbling along the windowsill. James crossed the room and lifting the latch let the small bird inside. The stunned owl collapsed onto it's back and lay on the floor with its leg sticking in the air.

"Mum, you need to tell the elves to stop cleaning the delivery window; we've got another bird casualty!" James called into the house as he untied the note wrapped around the bird's leg.

"Wormtail?" Sirius guessed as James unraveled the letter. "Did he like his present?"

"No, not Wormtail. Nor Moony. " James said as the soft wafting of perfume came off of the paper as he read the delicate lettering that arched across the page. "Looks like you have a damn good chance with Lambeth, Padfoot."

"What are you on about?"

"You said you had as much of a shot with Amelia as I do with Lily, and this is from Miss Evans herself." James passed the evidence over.

In disbelief Sirius took the letter and read it over. "She wants to meet you in London before school starts? Whatever for?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? I have captured her heart!"

"Oh yea, and when would that have happened?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"When you were working it with the book-shy Amelia in the corner, I was cranking on the dance floor with Lily." James laughed and demonstrated one of his best moves. "Go on, ask Amelia out, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Uh, she could say 'no'!" Sirius asked.

"When has any girl ever said 'no' to you?"

"She's not just any girl." Sirius said pointedly.

"No, she's not just any girl. But you know that, and she knows you will treat her with the respect that she deserves." James shrugged. "I say go for it. Otherwise, we will have to change your animagus form from a dog to a chicken."

James stooped down and picked up the stunned owl who was still lying on the floor, its eyes moving around dizzily as it tried to focus.

"Mum, can you do something with this owl?" James called as he carried the owl off to find his mum, leaving Sirius alone in the room.

Sirius took a deep breath and squared his shoulders before rummaging through James' desk draws for a quill that wasn't broken and a piece of parchment free from creases and rude doodles. Head down he looked at the blank paper and considered what he should say.

"_Dear Amelia._

_Hi. How are you?_

_Would you like to go out..._" he stopped mid sentence and scribbled it out.

"_Hi Amelia._

_Do you want to go on a da_"... again, that draft didn't last long.

"_Merry Christmas, Amelia._

_From Sirius_."

He cut the top half of the parchment off and folded the much shorter note at the bottom into a little oragami swan. With a wave of his wand, he enchanted the swan and it fluttered out of the window.

* * *

Christmas was always spent baking in the Lambeth household and each year, before their Christmas dinner, the family walked down to the hospital with piles of treats to brighten up the days of people stuck in the clinical wards on the jolliest day of the year. Cooling racks were all along the island bench, loaded with shortbread of all Christmas shapes and dozens upon dozens of fruit mince pies.

Her mother was whipping up another batch of icing as her grandmother pulled a rich Christmas cake from the oven. Amelia drew a tea towel from the drawer and piled a collection of treats in the centre of it along with a small, wrapped present. Knotting a ribbon and tag around the bundle, she went to the wide open fire grate and instead of grabbing a handful of glittery silver powder from the small pot upon the mantle, she reached for the smaller pot of blue powder and threw a pinch of it into the fire. The flames rose up in licks of pink and Amelia threw the small bundle into the flames where it soon disappeared.

As she went back to packing the Christmas goodies into wicker baskets for St Mungo's, Amelia looked out of the window and saw a tiny paper bird, barely visible against the snowy backdrop, fighting against the wind as it fluttered its way ever closer to the house.

* * *

In a roar of pink flame a parcel shot out of the fireplace and skidded across the floor where it landed beneath the Christmas tree stood proudly in the corner. Curiously, Remus walked over to the tree and pulled the newest present out from underneath it. A small tag was tied around the knot, addressing it to him, so he sat back on his seat and pulled it open in his lap. Amelia had been cooking again. He smiled to himself, pleased that she had forgiven him enough to continue with the usual Christmas treats that she sent him each year. This year, however there was a small wrapped parcel amongst the pies and biscuits. They never sent one another real presents.

He pulled the small, oddly shaped parcel from the middle and inspected it, surprised at its weight considering the small size. He slipped his thumb beneath the corner of the paper and pulled the cellotape undone, wondering what lay beneath the blue paper. A small amulet tethered to a leather strap dropped out from the paper with a note. Amelia's tidy handwriting curved its way over the page.

'_Grandpa spent his whole life travelling the world, collecting amulets - this one needs to be with you. Carry this with you when the moon rises. It provides lucidity. It won't let you forget who you really are_.'

He looked it over, turning the small stone in his hand. He couldn't believe she found him one of these. They were so insanely rare they were even believed to be myth in much of the world. His family had vainly looked for one - it wouldn't make anyone any safer, but it would make him slightly less of a monster. Legend has it he would recognize faces and feel human emotion; possibly the one and only thing that could ever resist the insatiable hunger that ate into him.

He smiled warmly as he put the necklace over his head and pulled the leather straps tighter around his neck. He would be able to go back to school this semester.

* * *

Peter was sat in front of the fire, eating candy from the heavy sack of Bertie Botts' in his lap, when his mother entered the room with an owl on her shoulder as she dried her hands on a tea towel.

"Dear, mail for you." She tucked the tea towel back into her apron and took the letter from the owl before handing the letter down to Peter and heading back to the kitchen, singing Christmas carols to herself.

As Peter tore open the letter from Remus, his father snored on in his armchair by the fire. Peter thought that perhaps he would have been better to get his dad a new pair of socks for Christmas, rather than another tie as he noticed his dad's big, hairy toe sticking out of a hole in the brown socks. His father's hands were crossed over his satisfied stomach, protruding full of that second helping of Christmas ham and trifle. Peter of course had followed suit.

Peter looked down to the letter in his hands and sighed. He couldn't wait to go back to school and be with his friends again.


	27. More Use than Book Learning

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: "More Useful than Book Learning"**

_During the Christmas holidays of his sixth year at Hogwarts, Sirius was quietly seated at an exhaustively long dining table with his family as they ate their Christmas dinner in silence. Kreacher, the Black family house elf had once again outdone himself. The cranberry stuffed turkey was perfectly moist and a thick and rich gravy was poured over the crispy roast vegetables. As he savoured each bite, Sirius wondered how long it would be before this pleasant family moment was spoiled. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind when his mother cleared her throat loudly. Sirius looked up at her from his plate and saw her looking down the opposite end of the table, towards his father._

_"Very well," Sirius' dad said, putting his knife and fork down and brushing the food from his beard with an immaculately folded napkin. "Boys, we have some news for you. You're not going back to school after the break."_

_"What? You've got to be kidding?" Sirius furrowed his brow in confusion. "How can we not go back to school? We're not even of age yet."_

_"You can do something far more useful than book learning, my boy," his dad retorted in a no-nonsense tone._

_"What would you have us do, father?" Regulus asked, ever the suck up._

_"You are to join the Dark Lord in his quest to protect our race." Their mother spoke up, a note of pride in her voice._

_"Like hell, I am!" Sirius exclaimed, pushing himself up loudly from the table whilst Regulus invisibly continued eating, his knife scratching quietly against his china plate._

_"Sit back down boy!" His father roared. "This matter is closed."_

_"No, it's not!" Sirius protested. "You know how I feel on that front, it's not going to happen!"_

_"Sirius, it's about time you grew up and learnt some responsibility. You have an obligation to this family." His mother scolded._

_"I will never support you-know-who's cause," Sirius insisted with a deep-set scowl on his face._

_"You'll do what I tell you to, boy," his father insisted. "Now sit down and eat your damn dinner."_

_"No." Sirius said defiantly, stepping around his chair and pushing it back into the table before taking a large step backward._

_"Okay then, get out. Go on, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" He roared, throwing his fork at Sirius because it was in closer range than his wand, which sat, out of reach, ceremoniously next to the turkey in the centre of the table._

_Within moments, Sirius found himself without a coat, in the middle of a cold blizzard. Large flakes of snow circling in a flurry around him began to settle in his hair, leaving the brown curls limp. He walked to the end of the street and looking back for a last glimpse of his childhood home, from which he had just been banished, he pulled his wand from is pocket and held it out towards the street._

_A rumbling of a purple bus appeared from around the corner and it screeched to a sudden halt right by Sirius._

_"Welcome to the Knight Bus," a girl with bright purple pigtails said nasally, making no move to openly welcome him as she focused on filing her nails and popping bubblegum. "Where to?"_

_"Uh, Godric's Hollow, please," Sirius said, calling to mind the first place that came to mind. James' family in Godric's Hollow had always made him feel infinitely more at home than when he was with his own family. The moment his feet touched the bottom stair, the bus was away again at a great rate of knots._

_"2 galleon's," she barked._

_Sirius dug around in his pockets, and counted out the money sickle by sickle, finally completing the fare with the lucky knut that he had been carrying in his sock for the last ten years. "You'd better know what you're doing," Sirius muttered quietly to the knut as he reluctantly handed it over and stepped into the passenger compartment._

_His face was greeted with a warm slap of heat that burnt at his cheeks after the icy blizzard, and he fell into a seat near the rear of the bus as it rumbled through London. The scenery passed in a blur of colour and lights before finally coming across the far more subdued township of Godric's Hollow._

_The bus pulled to an abrupt stop and he stumbled from the last step as it sped off again as quickly as it had come to a halt. Sirius unlatched the low gate outside the Potters' house and pushed his way up the freshly shoveled footpath to knock at the big brass knocker on the door. He could hear cheer and laughter coming from the other side of the door and a moment later, the door was answered by James' mother with a huge grin on her face._

_"Sirius! What a surprise," She welcomed him with a hug. "Oh, my dear boy. You're all wet, come in, come in."_

_"Thank you, Mrs Potter," Sirius said shyly as he stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him, shutting the cold outside. "Sorry to disturb your Christmas."_

_"Nonsense! Why don't you head up stairs and take a shower to warm your bones. The Christmas pudding is just about due to come out of the oven, there'll be a nice hot bowl of it down here waiting for you when you're done. Go along now," Mrs Potter ushered him towards the stairs._

_"Thank you," Sirius said as he made his way upstairs to shower._

_Sirius was under the steaming hot water, letting the warmth sink into his body when there was a knock at the door and James slunk his way into the room._

_"Mum sent me up to get you a warm towel and some dry clothes," James said, sitting on the edge of the bath, balancing the clothes on his knee._

_"Thanks, Prongs," Sirius said from behind the shower curtain._

_"So, how come you're not at home? Doesn't Kreacher do an epic cranberry stuffing?"_

_"Christmas at the Black household was kind of cut short this year." Sirius said._

_James sat in silence, for a further moment as Sirius continued to shower._

_"Mum and Dad have decided Reg and I are to 'join the cause'." Sirius sighed._

_"What cause? The shelter for homeless warlocks?"_

_"No, the 'let's go and kill all the muggles', one. They said we weren't to go back to school next term and, when I protested, they kind of kicked me out." he confessed as he shut the water off._

_James lobbed a large fluffy guest towel over the shower curtain. "That's insane! If nothing else you can't leave school until you're of age. Regulus isn't even close!"_

_"That's what I said," Sirius said, drying his hair off. "Apparently we can be of more use if we're not distracted by 'book learnings'." _

_"Well, tough, you're coming back to school. The marauders can't lose a quarter of its membership!"_

_Sirius smiled at his friend's support._

It was one year ago since Sirius had left home, rejecting his parents who wished for he and his brother, Regulus, to leave Hogwarts and be homeschooled in the dark arts. Now he found himself once again looking at the front door of number 12 Grimmauld Place from across the street. Somehow the house seemed more dark and dominating than in the 16 oppressive years he lived there. He was dressed head to toe in a starched black shirt, pressed pants and black shoes, with the blazing colours of Gryffindor rebelliously knotted around his neck. He was either extremely brave, or extremely stupid, to wear that scarf around his parents – the jury was still out on that one.

Sleet fell down over his head as he closed his umbrella and rang the serpent-shaped bell at the door. The door was answered a moment later by the all too familiar house elf, Kreacher.

"Blood traiter," Kreacher snarled as Sirius entered the foyer.

"Where is everyone?" Sirius pretended he didn't hear the earlier comment.

"Family room," Kreacher barked an obligatory response before disapparating to avoid further contact with the boy who had dishonoured his family.

Sirius traced the well-known route toward the family room and pushing open the heavy oak door, the room went silent. An elderly wizard bustled across the room and shook Sirius' hand vigorously. He barely came up to Sirius' shoulders.

"You must be Master Sirius Black, the third?" the wizard asked.

Sirius nodded slowly. Every eye in the room was focused on Sirius with a note of surprise and alarm. His mother, father and brother were sat along a wide antique couch, whilst several other cousins and relatives were scattered around the room, looking monochromatic in the sea of black Blacks.

Sirius' mother stood abruptly and strode across the room. "What are you doing here, Sirius? Have you finally come to your senses?"

Sirius dug into his pocket and drew out a letter with the torn wax seal of a downtown legal firm on the back of it. Holding it clearly in her view he said, "I was told to be here, for the reading of Uncle Alph's will."

"This is absurd! You," she spun around and jabbed her finger in the shorter man's chest, "you invited him?!"

"Wizarding law, section three, paragraph 24 clearly states that where possible all nominations within a will must be present during the initial reading."

"A 'nomination'? Surely not this outcast!" Walburga spoke of her own son.

"Ma'am." He said, curtly. "Now that we're all here, may we begin?"

"Very well then…" she said with a hiss as she sat back down between her husband and favoured son.

Sirius could feel the cold icy demeanour in the room as the lawyer began to read through the last will and testament of his uncle, Alphard Black. Avoiding the glare of his relatives, Sirius' attention turned to the mural of the Black family tree on the far wall. There was now a telltale black ring where Sirius' name had once been emblazoned, joining the similar scorch mark from when his Aunt Andromeda married a muggle.

"'And to my grand nephew, Sirius Black the third,'" Sirius' attention was called back as the stout lawyer read aloud from the end of the will, "'I bequest the sum of 84,000 galleons, to help him further find his feet as he seeks his independence.'"

Stunned, Sirius emerged from the house of Black moments later and was dazzled by the bright sun reflecting off of the crisp white snow which had fallen in the street. The smell of singed hair lingered in the air but his senses were oblivious to any present realities as he mindlessly made his way down the street, replaying the reading of his uncle's will over in his mind. The amount of money bequest to him would buy him his first home and all the furniture to fill it, with a little bit left over. He wouldn't have to go back to his family, nor depend upon the generosity of the Potters indefinitely.

His mother had made her views on the matter very clear as she fired a curse across the room, singing the tips of his hair. She would have hit him too, if his dad hadn't grabbed at his mother's wrist in protest. Not out of protection of his son of course, but due to the legal presence in the room.

As Sirius walked through the snow, hands buried deep into his thick woollen cloak, he pictured all of the things he could do with the money, some options practical, others not so. Imagining the advice of his friends, he knew that Remus would recommend a low yield term deposit whereas James would suggest a trip to the casino and Peter would suggest they follow the gambling with a strip show.

He stopped walking at the end of the path, unsure of where his feet were instinctually carrying him, a quick glance of his watch told him he was already running late. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before picturing the familiar bustle of Diagon Alley and taking a deliberate step forward he spun in a delicately carved pirouette. His stomach constricted uncomfortably and as his surroundings morphed into a blur of colour Sirius held his hand to his mouth, his feet barely connecting with the cobbles before moving to the trashcans in the back corner behind the Leaky Cauldron where he hunched over and vomited.

Feeling queasy, he made his way into the back of the pub and saw James, Peter and Remus already at a table in the far corner. He crossed to them and slid into the end of the booth.

"You're looking a bit green on it," Remus observed. "Are you okay?"

"Disapparation," Sirius mumbled feebly. He had never got used to the wrenching in his stomach.

"But it's as easy as…" Peter snapped his fingers "and you're wherever you want"

James shrugged, "I'd much prefer to take my broom, it's far more relaxing."

"Relaxing? Suspended in the air with nothing but a bundle of twigs under your butt is relaxing?" Sirius scoffed, the colour slowly coming back to his face. "There's got to be a better way to travel." His attention was distracted as the rumbling roar of a black motorcycle came to a stop at the intersection outside the window.

"No, Sirius," Remus cut through his thoughts. "Do you know how many muggles those things kill in road accidents each year?"

Sirius shrugged as his eyes followed the gleaming bike as it rolled past, weaving between busses and cars.


	28. A Bit of Fun

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: "A Bit of Fun"**

Lily leaned in closer to her vanity mirror and carefully applied some lipstick. Taking a step back, she admired her work in the mirror – the blend of green eye shadows, her curled eyelashes and highlighted cheekbones.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing, Lily? It's only Potter!" she spoke to her reflection and turning the faucets on full she scrubbed away the last 20 minutes' effort until her skin was pink and bare. She dabbed her face dry with a towel and hesitated as she swept her makeup back into its bag. She glanced at her laid out makeup before selecting a raspberry lip balm and applying a thin layer. Catching her reflection, she furrowed her brows defensively before throwing the balm on top of her other make up. "It might get windy, and who wants chapped lips?" She justified aloud to silence the internal judging.

"Well, if it's not the _freak_, talking to herself again." Petunia sneered as she passed Lily on the threshold of the bathroom.

Lily scowled and shot her sister a dirty look. Checking her watch as she walked along the upstairs landing, Lily threw her makeup bag through her open bedroom door, aiming in the general vicinity of her bed, and continued downstairs.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, Mum," Lily called towards the back of the house, reaching for her jacket from a coat hook in the entrance before pulling the front door open and being startled by the presence of none other than James Potter on the doorstep.

"Hey," he greeted her with a wide smile. She was annoyed that she felt pleased to see him.

"Hi," she said stepping outside and pulling the door closed behind her as she pushed her arms into the warmth of her coat. "I thought we could go out, I mean, go into town that is. It's not too far."

"Sure," James said, falling into step next to her as she began to make her way up the street.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to do?" she asked, unsure of how to break the silence between them.

"I'm easy going. This is your neck of the woods so you can lead the way, this time."

His choice of words crossed through her mind, accompanied by a flurry of confused emotions. _'This time'_, had he said _'this time'_? She snuck a peek in his direction and took in the teenage boy striding along next to her. He had the collar of his black woolen coat turned up against the lash of the wind, and a thick brown scarf snaked around his neck up to his chin, just below the cloudy puffs he breathed into the icy air. The smile that spread across his face when he turned to catch her looking at him forced a realization upon her; she couldn't help but wonder when she had grown to like his company.

"How was your Christmas?" He asked.

"A bit awkward to be honest." James raised an eyebrow to her confession. "My sister never quite forgot me for, well, for not being a muggle."

"Were you two close?"

"She was my best friend and I miss her." Lily was caught off guard by her brazen honesty.

"She knows, and misses you too," James said earnestly.

Lily shrugged his comment off, wanting to believe it but having little hope left after the last six and a half years. "So, what did you get up to for Christmas?"

"Sirius and I spent the morning sledding and enchanting snowballs at the neighbours' kids, and then the whole Potter family descended for Christmas dinner."

"Is it true what they say?"

"That it's dangerous to have that many Potters in one place?" he chided.

"No, about Sirius. That he ran away from home?"

"Yea, he didn't fit the 'Black family mold'. He's been staying with my family for the holidays."

The rumours that had circulated when Sirius' brother had dropped out of school the year before, and the reputation of his cousins, filled in the ambiguity of James' subtle statement. "That's, incredibly brave," she responded truthfully, knowing how hard it must have been for Sirius to be strong enough to walk away from such a powerful family.

"He did it though, he got away. And boy, will they be pleased when they find out what he's decided to do after graduation." James chuckled to himself.

"And that is?" Lily felt her curiosity spike as they approached the small township near her home.

"Before the break, he tracked down Moody to see if he would be considered for a place on the auror training programme. He's not in yet, but Moody did give him an application form and some advice."

"What about you?" Lily asked. "Moody mentioned he'd be keen to have you sign up, are you going to?"

James nodded without hesitation as the pair slowly weaved up the main street between the few shoppers who had braved the cold. "If I can help end this reign of terror, I'm going to."

"I broached the subject with my parents," Lily said.

"And?" James prompted, as she ushered him into a café set into a brick archway.

"And they flipped out," Lily laughed. "I really shouldn't have explained 'auror' to them in so much detail."

"The benefits of hindsight, ay?"

"Hot chocolate, please," Lily asked as they reached the counter.

"Make that two," James added, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.

"No, my neck of the woods, my shout," Lily pushed his wallet back down and handed money over the counter and James claimed two plush armchairs placed around a low coffee table by the fireplace just as an older couple vacated the spot.

Lily sat opposite James as he shrugged out of his jacket and unraveled his scarf from around his neck. It just seemed to accentuate the ever-present disheveled look to his hair, which many of the girls in school had dreamed of running through their fingers. Lily was becoming to see that his tousled hair and broad smile was representative of his free and playful nature that she was finally beginning to see.

* * *

Severus tried not to look for her on the platform, but a seven year habit was a tough one to break and he found himself distracted by the lack of her presence.

"Coming, Severus?"

He looked up at the mention of his name and saw Bellatrix standing on the bottom step of the train before walking on the train. Severus mentally shook himself and deliberately stepped forward in Bellatrix's wake. He had missed his shot with Lily and it was time to move on, time to become someone else. He subconsciously rubbed at his forearm and pushed past a group of first years' on the train. When he caught up to her, Bellatrix was holding a compartment door open for him and he walked in ahead of her and took a seat.

"Phoenix," Bellatrix addressed the blonde in the compartment the moment the door closed behind them. "Talk to me."

"It's done."

"I'm pleased the wild one proved useful." Bellatrix smirked.

"Yea, useful and a bit of fun." Phoenix and the guys either side of him laughed.

"How long do you think we have?"

"They wiped the muggles' memories. The Dark Lord will be in power, flanked by a strong army, long before they could push through the paperwork to release the original witness statements and lock our best in Azkaban."

"More than long enough," Bellatrix laughed but Severus didn't hear her. Through the window he saw Lily running across the platform, rushing to meet the train before it pulled out of the station, with James' hand clasped in hers as they ran together. Her stunning beauty alongside James in those thick-rimmed glasses, looking like he had been dragged backwards through a hedge with his black hair skewed all over the place.


	29. What have you done?

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: "What have you done?"**

The second term started as usual with a large feast in the great hall. The house-elves had once again outdone themselves as large gold platters and ornate tureens were steaming with all kinds of warm comfort foods, perfectly accompanying the snow that had settled in a heavy blanket over the castle. Soon the main feast was replaced with every type of fruit crumble imaginable and bowls of custard for dessert. At the conclusion of the elaborate dinner, Dumbledore stood up and a hush fell over the room.

"Firstly, I would like to welcome you all back to the castle, for another term full of learning and fun. Secondly it is my duty to advise a change in school policy which will affect you all."

Every students' eyes were on the headmaster as they awaited his news. The teachers stood resolutely behind him, each of their faces free from emotion as they avoided eye-contact with the curious students from their houses and instead showed their solidarity behind the headmaster.

"Due to the increase of Voldemort's followers and the frequency and verocity of their attacks, it has been decided that stricter protective policies will be put in place upon the castle from this point on. Therefore, curfew will now be at sunset for students of all levels."

A surge of unsettled chatter broke out among the students.

"In addition," Dumbledore continued when the noise subsided. "No one is to leave the castle grounds. Hogsmeade is officially out of bounds to all, with the exception of one Saturday each term where, with the written permission from your parents, senior students may take a professor-supervised trip to town."

"No!" Cherie was one of many students who stood up and protested this latest amendment to school policy as an uproar made its way along each of the house tables. They had always had the freedom to spend their evenings or weekends in Hogsmeade, and getting out of the castle was seen as essential for their sanity.

Dumbledore stood in full silence for several moments at the small podium at the front of the hall whilst he waited for the students to digest the news. When he had had enough, he raised his arms in the air and the pre-vented students instantly quieted down.

"To ensure this is very clear, there will be no tolerance to flouters of these rules. They are not optional." Dumbledore repeated. "No student may be out of the castle after night fall, under any circumstances. Curfew has been brought forward to 8pm, and from that time all students must be in their dorm rooms. Finally, day or night, no students shall venture beyond the school grounds, with the exception of one supervised visit each term for senior students, with the written permission of their parents or guardians."

Cherie crossed her arms and scowled. "How is that fair? Locking us up like this place is a prison." She hissed to Lily and Amelia.

Dumbledore turned slightly toward the Gryffindor table and smiled. "Make no mistake, this is not intended to be a punishment, this is purely for your own safety. Regardless of the statements coming from the Minister, I believe war is about to move right into our front yard. The school cannot protect you if we don't know where you are."

"Bloody ridiculous," Cherie was still scowling as they departed the great hall. "What do we need protecting from? I can curse along with the best of them."

"Voldemort doesn't curse people, Cherie. He kills them." Amelia said softly.

"But still, we're witches. He only hates muggles."

"So, it's okay for him to kill my family?" Lily asked pointedly. "If Dumbledore believes this is the right course of action, we have to support him. Besides, what do you want to do off grounds? I thought you and Phoenix were going through a rough patch?"

"Rough patch?" she sneered. "He hasn't even spoken to me for days. Not to mention Dad thinks Phoenix broke into his office at the Christmas party and stole those papers to try and keep his cousin out of jail. Not that it's going to do any good, they're clearing the paperwork now to retrieve the duplicate records, the court date will be back in place by the end of the week." Cherie scowled across the foyer to the retreating backs of the Slytherin house and wished she could fling a curse at the back of Phoenix's blonde head.

"You were too good for him anyway," Amelia said.

James came up behind the girls and threw an arm over Lily's shoulder. "Talking about me?"

"Yea, Potter. Cause the whole world revolves around you due to the gravitational pull of your giant ego." Cherie rolled her eyes as she led the way upstairs.

"Come now, be nice."

"Just coz Lily has lost her mind, doesn't mean I have to!" Cherie retorted, a smile in her voice.

"Hey," Sirius said with his hands buried deep in his pockets as he, Peter and Remus caught up to James.

"Hi," Amelia's cheeks flushed a slight pink, but not so slight as to evade Cherie's attention.

"Oh, not you too!" Cherie exclaimed in disbelief.

"So, it looks like our date is off this weekend, then?" Lily asked James, drawing the attention back away from Amelia.

James shrugged. "Why would it be?"

"James, you heard what Dumbledore said."

"So? Just be ready by 8." He flashed a grin as the boys ran up to their dorm and the girls went to theirs.

* * *

It was nearing 8pm that Saturday night, and the secrecy of James' plans for his date with Lily concerned her. "Do you think he's going to want to sneak out?"

"No, surely not," Amelia started. "But, well... okay, maybe he would... but you can't go with him!"

"She's right, let's face it, what are you going to do in the constraints of the dormitory?" Cherie asked.

"Yeah. Once a Potter, always a Potter, I suppose." Lily sighed. She thought had seen a different side to James and had hoped she would get to see more of it. "I'll just go down and tell him it's off."

"Sorry it's not going to work out, Lil'," Amelia said.

Lily shrugged and made her way downstairs. Though when she reached the bottom stair, she was shocked by what she saw.

"Good evening, Mademoiselle," She was greeted by someone in fully pressed black dress robes stood before her and bowed deeply.

"May I take your coat?" A second asked.

"Uh, I'm not wearing a coat..." Lily looked down at herself in an old, baggy jersey and worn jeans.

"Never worry, Mademoiselle. May I escort you to Master Potter?" The first proposed.

"Remus? What's going on? What are you guys doing?" She laughed slightly as he offered his elbow out for her to take.

"If you can't go to the date, the date's coming to you," Peter said.

Unsure of what was going on, she felt a smile tug at the edge of her lips and she looped her arm through the crook of Remus' elbow, allowing herself to be led across the room. A heavy drape had been hung around the window, separating the corner alcove from the rest of the room.

"Mademoiselle," Peter bowed and pulled back the curtain to reveal James stood at the window in dress robes, a long stemmed white rose in his hands. To his right was a small round table with a dark blue tablecloth draped over it, barely brushing over the floor. A single candle stood in the centre of it, the strong flame providing a warm glow over the enclosed space. As Lily stepped inside and Peter dropped the curtain behind her, James took her left hand a gently placed a kiss on the back of it before handing her the rose.

"James, what have you done?" She laughed.

"Just something I've wanted to do for far too long now," he admitted, pulling out a seat for her.

"Uh," Lily resisted. "I should go and get changed."

"No need." James shook his head. "You couldn't look more beautiful."

Lily trusted the candlelight wouldn't be strong enough to show her cheeks flushed a bright red, and sat down in the offered seat.

"Garçon?" James called as he sat opposite Lily. The curtain moved aside to let Sirius in carrying a small notepad and quill. He wore a black shirt and tie, with pressed black pants and polished shoes.

"Ze menu," Sirius said in a forced french accent as he presented a rolled parchment to each of them.

"Oh, thank you." Lily said, taken aback.

"And what would you like to drink zis evening?"

"Uh, a pumpkin juice?" She asked uncertainly.

"Make that two," James smiled, and Sirius quietly left the small 'room'.

"This is..." Lily struggled to find the words. "Amazing."

* * *

"I still can't believe what Potter did. I nearly didn't believe it when Pettigrew told us." Cherie said as her and Amelia were changing for bed later that night. With the boredom of an 8pm curfew, it seemed like a good idea to have an early night.

"I know, it's bizarre, right? He must really care for her."

"Maybe he actually does." Cherie never thought she would be saying something like that about James Potter. "So, you and Sirius, ay?"

"I, I don't know what you mean." Amelia stuttered faintly.

"It's fine," Cherie said. "I get it, he's hot. He can be a bit of a jerk at times, but he's got nothing on Phoenix, so who am I to judge?"

Amelia smiled shyly. "Can I confess something?"

"Shoot."

"I may, possibly, like him a bit… just a bit! I don't know why, I've just seen a different side to him. Perhaps those boys are actually growing up."

"Well, firstly, that's not much of a confession, hun. And secondly, if those boys are growing up, there will be pigs flying past the window any moment now," Cherie laughed as she crawled into bed. "You should ask him out."

"I couldn't do that!" Amelia was astounded that Cherie would even suggest such a thing.

"Yea you could. Then you and Lily can go on double dates and look out for signs of the other's boyfriend still being a jerk."

"Yea, but you should come too," Amelia said. "Triple date. Do you want me to ask Peter if he's interested?"

Cherie lobbed a pillow across the room and Amelia dodged it skillfully.

"Score, extra reading pillow!" Amelia teased as she picked it up from the floor and added it to the two already piled up on her bed.


	30. I'll Catch You

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: "I'll catch you"**

Beneath the strong moonlight, a wave of robe-clad people stood along the crest of a steep hill. They were looking down towards the majestic Hogwarts castle nestled in the valley before them. It was a peaceful night in the castle. Except for the occasional tell tale flicker of wandlight catching in the window, selling out the students out of bed after curfew, the castle was asleep and still. Even the surrounding forest was calm that evening, the creatures that resided there had no idea what was about to happen, and those who did had the common sense to run and leave their homes in their wake. The group of people stared down at the castle in silence as dozens of others appeared from the darkness to join their ranks.

Minutes later the front door to the castle opened, and a single person stepped through it. As the lone figure gracefully moved down the front steps, the door silently closed behind them and the heavy rusted gates before them swung open to grant their exit. The figure came to a halt in front of the pack and through the silence you could hear the palpable anticipation in the air. He smoothly shook his hands free from the sleeves of his long robes, and raising them up to his hood he hooked the edge of it between his delicate and pale fingertips and pushed it backward. As he stood atop that hill next to his school, a glimmer of Tom Riddle's youth glowed gently beneath the moonlight as his eyes were closed and face tilted skyward, breathing in the fresh country air. Slowly he lowered his chin again and opened his eyes to take one final look at the grounds before him. Anyone could see that the young boy who found his identity here was now long gone. The warm brown eyes full of wonder that were once there hard a harsh edge to them and glinted in the light much like a sharpened blade. Stood before the school was the dark Lord Voldemort himself.

Voldemort held his arms wide and a charismatic smile spread across his face. "Tonight, shall be known as the night it all started. We will claim what is ours. No more hiding away, we shall be free, and we shall be strong. You know what to do." He turned his head to the right and gave a gentle nod. A third of the group on each side instantly peeled away from the main group and filed down the side of the hill.

Turning back to the school and raising his wand, Voldemort began to mutter an incantation under his voice and a crackling white ball began to grow around the tip of his wand. In a split moment's hesitation he took one last look over the castle before releasing the power of the incantation directly at the ground in front of his feet where it exploded, leaving a crater in the dirt.

From the distance a freight train-like roaring entered the castle and echoed through the corridors, rattling the castle awake.

"What?" Half asleep, Cherie propped herself up on her elbows and Amelia looked up from her book as the two looked questioning at each other, confused for a moment as the roaring sound resonated through the castle. Suddenly the floor was jolted beneath them and their beds ground across the wooden floor before being slammed back against the walls.

The lantern that Amelia was reading by slid off of her nightstand and smashed on the floor next to her bed casting the room into darkness. Echoes of furniture grinding against the floor and toppling over, of things breaking and frightened screams from the students below were heard throughout the building as everyone was abruptly woken to find themselves being thrown around.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!" Cherie screamed as she held onto the edge of her mattress for dear life, trying to stay on it as a rodeo rider does a bucking bronco. The tall dresser across the room threw itself onto its front with a loud bang, cosmetics rolling around the floor where they began to leak from the cracks and broken seals.

"Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!" Amelia panicked as she was thrown about in the dark and struggled to even control where she was sitting as books in the affixed bookcase turned into projectiles and started targeting her.

As quickly as the shaking had begun, it stopped.

"Are you okay?" Cherie asked into the darkness

"I think so," Amelia said panting heavily.

"Can you find your wand?" Cherie asked as she reached for her nightstand and felt it had toppled over. She'd be damned if she could find where her wand had rolled to in the pitch black.

Amelia crawled off of her bed and in her bare feet crouched down to feel for her wand. Several shards of glass cut her hand as it weaved through the shadows, hoping for the familiar touch of her wand. She felt the brush of Zell against her forearm as Zell pushed a smooth stick of holly into her hand. Amelia illuminated the room, and stared around in shock.

Each of their beds had moved out of alignment and away from the wall, gouging a zig zag in the varnished floors where its feet had dragged, the giant bookcase had thrown its contents to the far reaches of the room before Lily's dresser fell over them and landed in the centre of the room. The air was choked with the smell of three girls' different perfume bottles, which had smashed on the floor among the leaking nail polishes.

"Zell found your wand," Amelia added, tossing the holly wand in an arch across the room where Cherie caught it.

"Thanks. Accio wand." Cherie called, searching for Amelia's wand. A pile of books jumped up and down a couple of times, before the wand freed itself from beneath the stack and flew across the room to Cherie who handed it in turn to Amelia.

The wand light of Amelia's joined the room.

"You're bleeding!" Cherie exclaimed in concern.

Amelia looked down to her hand, which was bleeding down her forearm. "I'll be fine."

Cherie used a spell to clear the broken glass to one side of the room and pushed Amelia down onto her trunk. "Where's all your medi-stuff?"

"Under my bed."

Cherie reached under the bed and felt for the leather bag. The edge of the bag had become pinched under the furniture as it bounced about the room, but she was able to pull what she needed from it and she followed Amelia's instruction to sanitise and wrap her cut hand.

A moment later, the door burst open and Sirius ran in the room with Remus close behind, both in their pyjamas with boots hastily pulled onto their feet.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked first before they had even managed to cross the threshold.

"Merlin, you're hurt." Sirius dropped to his knees in front of Amelia and helped Cherie to patch her up.

"I'm okay, really." She insisted. "What happened?"

"An earthquake, I think." Remus responded and he pulled open the curtain for them to see.

Into the distance, they could see a straight line of trees had fallen in the forbidden forest and a deep crater had been ripped apart through the middle of the field below. Billows of dust and debris began to settle around the edge of the castle and the extent of the damage soon became apparent. Large sections of the stone walls lay in piles around the school, topped off with slate tiles from the roof. Ravenclaw tower had lost its parapet, ripping half of the wall down with it as it fell through the glass houses below. It all felt like a bad dream, none of this could be real.

"Is everyone okay?" Cherie asked.

"Well, at least everyone in our tower is okay." Remus said. "James and Lily are downstairs now, trying to calm the students and gain some semblance of order."

"Are you okay to help James and Lily, Mel?" Remus asked, looking to her bandaged hand.

"Most definitely."

"You should know," Sirius said. "The castle doesn't look in good shape. Beware of where you walk."

The girls pulled on a pair of shoes each and wrapping dressing gowns around themselves the four picked their way out of the room and into the corridor, with Zell hopping ahead in their wand light. Rubble lay everywhere and they could barely see two steps in front of them as they choked their way through the dust.

"Wait," Sirius halted the girls at the top of the stairs. The top five stairs were missing, a pile of their remains barely visible at the bottom of the cavernous hole they left.

Sirius threw himself off of the top step and over the gaping void before turning and reaching back out to Amelia.

"Jump, I'll catch you." Sirius promised.

Nervously she bit at her lip and after a moment's pause she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and took that leap of faith. She felt the brief free fall before Sirius caught her in his warm arms and pulled her to safety before likewise helping Cherie and Remus to get across.

The common room was a blur of chaos as they emerged from the bottom of the stairs. The chandelier had collapsed onto the couch in the centre of the room – it was fortunate that the lounging first years had just gone to bed. Books had been thrown across the room from their carefully alphabetised perch in the bookcase and the occasional brick was coming free from the mortar surrounding the fireplace, a few already piled on the ground below.

"Quiet now, students!" Professor McGonagall had entered the room and was trying to gain order alongside Lily and James as some students were screaming, some were crying and others were just wandering in circles with a dazed look in their eyes. Interrupted mid-date, James was in his dress pants, dress-robe discarded and shirt sleeves rolled up. Lily had already pulled her hair twisted up in a bun on the top of her head – her mid-exam focus hairstyle.

The senior students pushed through the throng of Gryffindors to their head of house. "What can we do to help?" Remus asked

"We have to evacuate the castle until we can determine whether or not it's safe. Remus, Amelia, can you please lead the Gryffindor house out to the middle of the field? When you get them out there, please order them into their year levels for a role check. Lily and James, can you please bring up the rear to make sure we don't leave anyone behind?"

"Of course, Professor. Anything we can do to help."

Sirius picked a chair up off of the floor and straightening it up he stood on it and let out a loud whistle, drawing everyone's attention as silence settled over the group. "We're evacuating the castle. Make sure everyone in your dorm room is part of the group and stick together. You will be following Amelia and Remus, listen to everything they tell you."

"Well said, Mr Black," Professor McGonagall praised him as the students began to fall into order.

It was a treacherous journey out of the castle. Sirius stayed with Remus and Amelia as they lead the way out of the castle whilst Cherie stayed back with Lily, James and Peter as they corralled the shell-shocked students from behind. Finally they began to file out into the grounds and joined the other houses as they lined up together. Slytherin house was the first out there, sprawled across the lawn, idly chatting and looking bored.

"Do they go to bed dressed or something?" Peter looked over the Slytherin group as they passed them, noting that unlike the rest of the school most of Slytherin were not in their pyjamas.

Cherie's jaw set firm. She knew what Phoenix wore to bed, and it was at the opposite end of the spectrum to clothes.

They began to group the students ready for roll call as McGonagall bustled up to them with a heavy folder in her arms and the rest of the staff in tow. As role call commenced, there was an odd feeling in the air, everyone felt it, but none were sure what it was. A second rumbling was heard rolling in the distance and the students clung to each other, preparing for the ground to move beneath them again, but that movement never came. Instead, dozens of dark cloaked followers rounded each side of the castle, with a third group coming through the main entrance and flowing down the stairs. A few Slytherin students got up as they went to join the mysterious party walking onto the grounds, including the full 7th year class.

The teachers looked at each other cautiously before Dumbledore took a step closer to the newcomers. "Good evening," he said lightly.

The cloaked stranger in the centre of the group threw back his hood and smiled a dashing smile.

"Tom. What a surprise this is. Unfortunately now is not a good time as we are in the middle of roll call, but perhaps we could meet for a cup of tea tomorrow?"

The young man's smile turned into a nasty sneer. "I'm not here for tea, old man. Join us, or get on your knees." The Dark Lord said, drawing his wand as he came to a halt several feet away from the headmaster, his followers stopping in line with him.

"This is a new cloak, Tom, and as you can see the ground is far too muddy, and I am far too old to kneel."

"I don't go by that muggle name any longer." He spat, the pure hatred of the name evident in his voice.

"That's right. You now have the moniker, Voldemort, don't you?"

"It's Lord, to you." He scowled.

"I'm afraid you'll have to excuse an old man, for you'll always be Tom to me."

A ripple of hatred ran through his features and holding his hands together he slowly drew them apart and the entire school watched as a white glow emanated between his palms. Opening his palms fully, the ball of light fell to the ground and with another rumble a second crater cut across the field and scattering the students as they screamed in fear. Another crack appeared in the wall of the castle behind them as the ground ripped apart beneath it.

"On your knees." He commanded.

"I can't do that." Dumbledore said cooly.

"Don't resist us," the younger wizard scoffed. "Nothing is stronger than pure blood supremacy. Those muggles aren't worth protecting. Show your allegiance to the cause and the Ministry will bow before us."

"Ah, but Tom, you know I don't like politics."

"Such a shame, but it's your choice," Voldemort said, raising his wand as a curse exploded from its tip towards the headmaster.

* * *

_I was so surprised to see a wave of email alerts come through today, and then to log in to see such a high hit count from my last post really made my day! I hope you enjoy the final chapters (2 to go), and look forward to hearing what you think of 'Change is in the Air'._

_~CannS_


	31. Do you know where you're going?

**CHAPTER THIRTY: "Do you know where you're going?"**

An unmistakable green light launched from the tip of Voldemort's wand, aimed straight at Dumbledore's chest. He wasn't playing around. He wanted this to be over quickly, rather than tempt the fate of losing to the more experienced wizard he had challenged.

Simultaneously, his followers began dueling with the teachers as Voldemort himself kept the onslaught of curses flowing towards the elderly headmaster. Despite his seniority, Dumbledore's entire body moved fluidly, deftly waving his wand in a blur before him and deflecting each of the deadly curses away from him and those that fought alongside him. A strong curse rebounded towards a nearby greenhouse, and the ceiling shattered. Large shards of glass crashed to the ground, releasing the earsplitting scream of premature mandrake roots into the cool night air. In the momentary distraction, Dumbledore flicked his wand and instantaneously the cushioned sound of his heart beating was all he could hear as ear plugs formed in his own ears and in those of the Hogwarts teachers and pupils closest to him. A couple of death eaters closest to the glasshouse fell to their knees, clutching the sides of their head as blood ran from their ears and through their fingers.

Voldemort however, just smirked, apparently unaffected by the echoing wails and advanced towards the headmaster, his wand winding in a well crafted figure of eight. This was personal. He had given the older wizard a chance to join them and make up for the distrust he had shown in the past, but he had declined. If the headmaster was not to be his greatest ally, he would become his greatest enemy; a threat who must be eliminated.

"Constant vigilance!" Moody's voice carried around the grounds.

"Get the students safe!" McGonagall screamed over her shoulder as she began fighting off the cloaked intruders.

"Sirius, you and Amelia lead the younger students out of here, I'll bring up the rear," Remus insisted. "Just keep her safe." He added only loud enough for Sirius to hear him. With all that he had put Amelia through, Remus felt that he would always feel indebted to Amelia and have that insatiable need to protect her.

Amelia and Cherie began herding the students towards the right hand side of the lake. Amelia knew that she must have been one of the few prefects who bothered reviewing the heavy safety manual that lived in the staffroom, but she had never felt more pleased with her insistence to read and memorize every detail of the schools' evacuation plan upon her appointment as prefect.

Sirius took Amelia's hand and drew her to the front of the group of students. "Follow us!" He shouted at the first years who were stood still in one place, rooted to the ground in fear, no idea what to do nor where to run.

"Do you know where you're going?" He asked Amelia as she picked up the hem of her dressing gown and began to lead the group at a sprint. "Shouldn't we go towards the forest? I know my way around there really well."

"No, the safety evacuation plan states that we should go to the right of the lake. It leads us closest to the authorities in Hogsmeade." She recited between breaths.

Fear and apprehension hung heavily in the air as the mob of students pounded their way around the bottom of the lake to the little-used path into the back of Hogsmeade.

With Sirius throwing the occasional curse back over his shoulder, to keep the stray death eaters who slipped past the teachers at bay, they were able to put a fair distance between the group of students and the chaos behind them, when suddenly he grabbed Amelia's hand and skidded to a stop, pulling her back with him.

Something had the hairs on the back of his neck standing upright. While a group of frantic second years ran past them, he scanned their perimeter but saw nothing obvious between the lake on their left and the tall bank of trees on their right.

Remus caught up to them with the next wave of fourth-years. "What's the hold up, we've got to get out of here. The teachers can't hold them off forever."

"Remus," Sirius hushed urgently. "Can you not smell that?"

The pair sniffed at the air for a moment, trying to unearth the reason for Sirius' disquiet.

Remus turned to Sirius, his eyes wide. "Ambush." He hushed under his breath. "Go back; go back to the forest!" He yelled ahead to the students in front and waved his arms desperately at the students behind them, but it was already too late. There was a movement at the top of the bank and several death eaters crossed the ridge and blocked them in from the front and behind.

"Not you, NO!" Remus screamed, recognizing the one at the centre of the group as the willing monster who had turned him into a reluctant beast. Greyback smiled a lopsided smile and hungrily licked at his lips before he began to quiver, his whole body writhing until the transformation was complete. Remus ran at the werewolf with his wand out, blasting every curse he had ever heard of. He would not let the lives of any other student be destroyed by this fiend.

Sirius had already knocked one death eater out cold and disarmed a second. Amelia and Cherie drew their wands and looked fearfully to the group that had them trapped. Their best duellers were fighting the first lot of attackers alongside the teachers, but they couldn't give up hope, not while there was still a breath left in their being.

Amelia and Cherie worked their way to each end of the group of students, drawing on the support of the other senior students to defend the younger students who stood behind them, trembling in fear at the edge of the lake. Under the distraction of chaos, Sirius transformed into his animagi form and leapt to Remus' support to attack the ever powerful werewolf head on.

Meanwhile in the centre of the field, the wall of teachers put up an impressive fight. But there was no denying that they were vastly outnumbered.

"Potter! Evans!" Professor Moody shouted to his two favourites. "To your left, now!"

The pair turned to see a renewed force advancing to the east, and they danced a seamless choreography as each deflected and advanced curses towards the offending party. James was surprised at the seriousness of the situation he found himself in. He and his friends had always dueled for fun, just playing, yet here the opposition were after blood and the thought drove a chill through his spine. Whereas Lily had never felt such adrenaline fuel her body, and she embraced the strong sense of purpose as she fought for her safety, to protect her friends, and to defend her school.

James faltered for an instant as the swiftness with which they were moving shifted the hood of one of the attackers and he caught a glimpse of their face, shining in the moonlight. It took a moment of shock before he recognized the familiar dark eyes and brown curly hair to be that of Regulus. So, the younger Black had effectively been drafted for the cause; the cause that Sirius had been lucky to escape. His round face looked so young in the shining moonlight, yet his expression was contorted with rage as he continued to advance his attack. Feeling a surge of protectiveness for his best friend, James drove at Regulus in an impassioned manner. Each spell he cast, he cast for Sirius, against the family who had disowned him for this path.

They were caught in such a tight duel that James didn't notice the team of aurors swoop in and join their ranks. With the arrival of these local authorities, the scales had tipped and with a loud bang a single black plume of smoke shot skyward in the centre of the grounds and each of the black hooded invaders disapparated from the school. James caught the final, fleeting smirk of Regulus as he spun on the spot and vanished. James knew he couldn't tell Sirius. He couldn't be responsible for the telling him exactly how much his little brother had transformed in a mere year, and who he had become.

The staff, students, and arriving aurors all looked wildly around for the next curse to deflect, but soon realized that they were stood alone. Whilst they began to absorb the aftermath of what was left behind, the headmaster alone stood motionless in the centre of the field. He watched the tail end of jet black smoke a mere meter infront of him where Voldemort had just stood. He curiously reached his long fingers forward and swirled them in the smoke as it slowly faded before him. His eyes rose skyward and saw a large dark shadow in the sky, the smoky imprint bearing the dark mark as the snake likeness wove itself around a skull-shaped cloud.

James saw that Lily was stood to one side, her hands above her knees as she hunched forward, catching her breath. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded wordlessly, with her eyes wide as she took in the scene before her.

Not everyone was standing, and not 20 yards ahead she recognized a 6th year Ravenclaw, Holley, sprawled across the ground with her twin sister, Maegan, on her knees bent over her and wailing. One hand was woven through her sister's golden hair and the other clasped against the side of her nightdress as Maegan desperately tried to shake her awake. Professor Myers sat next to the twins and placed a gentle hand on Maegan's back. The distraught girl reluctantly turned and buried her face in the professor's long blonde hair as her tears continued to flow in an endless stream. While rubbing one hand in a circle over Maegan's back, the professor drew her wand across Holley and conjured a white silk sheet which soon covered her lifeless body from head to toe.

James wrapped an arm around Lily and pulled her close. It was only then that she was able to wrench her eyes from the scene before her and realized she had tears rolling down her cheeks. James' firm, warm chest was comforting as she pressed herself into it and let him hold her.

When she risked a chance of opening her eyes, she realized that Holley wasn't the only unlucky one and she dropped her gaze instantly, not wanting to know how many white sheets now littered the grounds around them, obscuring her class mates.

"I think we're okay." Professor Moody said, walking the final steps towards them backward, for one last look behind him.

Lily pulled away from James' chest, but only slightly. "Are you sure?"

"They weren't making any headway with Dumbledore, and when the auror's responded to the resonating bang from earlier, they knew they were outnumbered. They won't be back tonight," Moody was confident. "I'm proud of you two though."

"Well, sir, we would all do anything we could in a time like this," James said modestly, though his cheeks flushed pink.

"Something terrible happened here tonight, and the losses will be with us forever." He paused and bowed his head respectfully in recognition of those lying around them. "But, without the pair of you, the devastation would be worse. Your talents are natural, and I would hate to see them wasted." He finished before joining with the local aurors to enhance the broken protective shields that hung over the castle.

Across the lake, Sirius transformed back into his human form and doubled over as he looked all around for any sign that the ambush wasn't over. He could feel the blood seeping through his shirt and knew his wound had re-opened; he would have to get Amelia to work her magic again later. There was that familiar flutter of butterflies in the pit of his stomach again as he thought of her delicate fingers dancing over his torso, and of her gentle scent ever-present as she leaned in close, to tend to his wounds.

"Sirius!" Remus called his attention back down to earth. Amelia was lying still on the ground and although her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping, her body was sprawled out in an unnatural fashion.

"Amelia!" Sirius ran over and dropped down next to her, pulling her head up into his lap. "Come on, stay with me." He shook her gently, trying to wake her. Checking for a pulse he found it was slow and erratic, barely having enough force to pump the blood through her veins and keep her warm pink lips from turning blue.

Zell was circling overhead and landing on Amelia's chest she let out a loud, snarling growl and began to nip at Sirius.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sirius lowered Amelia down and backed away to draw the insane animal away from Amelia.

Suddenly Zell abandoned her attack of Sirius and began flying in circles around Amelia. A blue forcefield was building up around the girl lying on the ground. Remus tried to move closer and Zell growled at him, flying faster and faster into a tight figure of eight over Amelia. The intensity of the blue glow grew and grew until, with a ripple, it exploded outwards from her and knocked Remus and Sirius clear off of their feet. Zell landed gently back on Amelia's stomach and lowered her ear down to listen to her chest.

This time, when Sirius and Remus moved closer, Zell didn't protest. Instead she slowly hopped up Sirius' leg as he knelt down next to Amelia.

"No biting." Sirius scolded as the blue ball of fluff continued to make her way up Sirius' leg.

Zell's breathing was laboured but she kept shuffling forward until she could push herself up to the side of his blood-stained shirt, holding the fabric tightly in her small hand. She stayed in place as the same blue glow slowly began to emanate from her and the pain seemed to be drawn out from his side. This time the intensity of the light was significantly less and it soon began to flicker like a guttering candle until it went out. Slowly, Zell curled up into a ball on Sirius' legs, her breathing sporadic and forced and he looked at her with his eyes wide open touching a hand to his side which miraculously was no longer in pain and looking back to Amelia with hope in his heart.

Amelia's eyes slowly opened. "Remus? Sirius?" She said, recognition clear on her face as she gave a weak smile.

The glisten of a tear reflected in Sirius' eyes and he began laughing with relief. "Thank Merlin you're okay."

Amelia began to push herself up. "What happened, are they gone?"

"I don't know..." Remus answered unsurely as he looked around him. "They just seem to have... disappeared."

"Is everyone else okay?" She asked as she looked around and saw there were several groups dotted along the edge of the lake and around the grounds, just like they were, with groups huddled over their friends lying on the ground.

"Where's Cherie?" Amelia looked around for any sign of her friend's long black hair.

"She's still breathing," came the panting voice of Peter as he staggered towards them, holding Cherie draped in his arms. Remus instantly got up and helped him carry her the last few steps and lay her down next to Amelia.

Amelia wasted no time in checking Cherie's vitals, and found everything to be coming through strongly, her breathing, her pulse, and even the egg-shaped bump appearing on her forehead. Amelia conjured an English ice cap and held it to the bruising lump, which brought Cherie semi-conscious as she groaned and tried to push it off.

"Trust me, or by morning you'll end up with the biggest bruise you've ever seen," Amelia assured her.

"Fuck that's cold, Mel," Cherie complained as she cracked her eyes open a fraction, but she ceased complaining and lay back holding the icy compress to her forehead.

"Uh, Mel?"

"Yea?" she looked up at the mention of her voice and saw Sirius standing next to her with his brows knitted together in a look of consternation. He had both hands clasped against his chest and she was afraid he was wounded, but he pulled them away and she saw a blue ball lying in his palm. At first she didn't recognise Zell, her bright blue fur had lost its vibrancy, and her usually even coat was in patchy tufts fur. "What happened?" She asked reaching out for her.

"I don't know," he passed Zell to her and ran his hands nervously through his hair. "You had been hit by a curse, and I couldn't find a stable pulse. I, I thought you were…" his half-formed sentence was left hanging as he couldn't bring himself to form those final words.

Remus filled in the gaps and explained Zell's odd behavior and the blue glow.

"That's all we know." Sirius finished, mindlessly touching his fingers to his tender sides.

"Sirius, are you hurt?" Amelia's eyes zoned in on his blood-stained shirt.

"I was, but when Zell left you alone she came up to my side and now, well," he raised his shirt and they could both clearly see the traces of a wound that was well on its way to healing. "But she herself clearly isn't well," he said returning his attention to the small radafemia.

"I think she'll be alright." Amelia said after a moment. She could feel Zell's pulse beneath her fingertips and the familiar breathing pattern of a deep slumber.

Confused, Amelia couldn't help but wonder if perhaps her grandmother's Christmas ramblings meant something.

'_She's a radafemia, as the legend goes, they can choose to bond to another soul and forever be locked to it. Your physical talents become their magical talents – the two align and magnify. Your feelings are her feelings; your pains are her pains; your strengths are her strengths; your powers are her powers.' _Her grandmother's words echoed in her mind. Was it possible? By watching Amelia tend to Sirius after he had fought off a werewolf, had Zell developed healing powers?

"Whatever you did, thank you." She said quietly to Zell, whilst holding her close and running a soothing finger over her. Zell's hand reached through the small bundle and held on tightly to Amelia's finger in a way that reassured her she would be okay.


	32. No Matter What ' THE END '

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: "No matter what"**

The castle had moved into a period of mourning and the still air was only punctuated by the quiet sounds of grieving. Parents had been arriving at all hours of the night to pick up their children, and the remaining students had barely slept when they made it into the great hall for what would be their final meal at Hogwarts.

With the exception of salvaged suits of armoury and portraits that had been moved en-mass to the great hall from the various parts of the castle that were in near ruin, the hall bore no signs of what had occurred the night before.

The four Marauders, Lily, Amelia and Cherie were seated at the head of the Gryffindor table, eating their breakfast. There was a smattering of students remaining at each of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, yet Slytherin's table was deserted.

"I'm going to enroll." Lily was the first to break the silence among the group.

"Enroll for what?" Cherie asked.

"Moody said there was a spot for me on his team as a trainee auror. I'm going to sign up." She said resolutely, with a glance across the table at James.

"Are you sure, Lily? That sounds dangerous." Amelia was wary, as she pet Zell who napped in her lap, some of her colouring had come back.

"Not even Hogwarts is safe right now. Someone needs to stop those monsters."

"And they will be stopped. Siri and I enlisted last night." James said flatly.

Peter and Remus had also tried to join, but Peter didn't have the natural talent for the demanding role, while Remus received the first discriminatory rejection of many to come.

"We had better get put on the same squad then. You never know when I'll need to save your butt again," Lily joked, attempting to lighten the mood, but the seriousness still hung heavily in the air as the teenagers realised that their senior year was finishing much more abruptly than planned.

"No matter what, we should catch up soon, okay?" Amelia looked around at the tightly bonded group, scared that she wouldn't see them together again. Sirius reached beneath the table and held Amelia's hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm sure that can be arranged." James agreed, to several nods of agreement from the others.

The giant doors to the great hall creaked open and Filch bustled busily into the room. "The final carriages to Hogsmeade are here. Come on, out you get," He began ushering the few students out of the castle, muttering about the mess of the night's events that he would be left to clean.

The seven students followed the other houses out of the castle and into the awaiting carriages that would deliver them and their trunks to the train station. James paused before entering the carriage and looked over his shoulder to Lily who was looking up at the castle behind them.

"Is everything okay?"

"Seven years ago, I didn't know who I was. I didn't even know this world existed." She marvelled. "I never could have anticipated what lay beyond those giant castle doors, but from the moment I stepped inside them my life was never going to be the same."

"In a bad way?"

"No." She said simply, turning back to him with a smile. "This is me. This is where I belong."

He returned her smile and reached out to hold her hand before the two of them joined their friends in the back of the carriage.

* * *

Severus sat alone in a small compartment as the train ground its way back towards London. It was a quiet journey and he sat staring out of the window lost in his thoughts until he heard the gentle squeak of the door as it was pushed open, and suddenly his head was full of that intoxicating scent.

"Lily?" He spun in his seat to see the red head step into the cabin and slide the door closed behind her. She tugged at the blind and covered the window into the hallway before sitting close to him. "What are you doing here?" he was unable to contain his shock and automatically kicked himself for the defensive response, hoping not to scare her away.

"Severus, I know." His insides turned to mush at the sound of her voice using his name.

"You, uh, you know what?" He tried to level his voice.

"I know it wasn't James. It was you, wasn't it?" She held out her hand with a small pile of blue envelopes stacked on her palm and the shimmering haircomb lying on top, clutched beneath her thumb. "It was always you."

"Lily, I…"

"Shh…" she held her forefinger to his lips. "No talking." She leaned in closer and held him in a deep gaze with those bright green eyes of hers. A smile tugged gently at the edge of her lips and she slowly closed her eyes before leaning in closer.

His forearm began to tingle, but he lost himself in the vibrant sparkle of her eyes. The tingle soon escalated to a burning. He pulled his left arm back, lest she felt the heat radiating from it, but refused to draw any of his attention away from Lily as she was now a mere inches from him with her eyes gently closed. He too closed his eyes as he felt her coming closer.

A sharp kick to his shin brought his eyes wide. The brightly lit train compartment had disappeared, and Lily was no where to be seen. His forearm now blazed, but it was nothing compared to the pain of disappointment he felt to be brought back to reality. Severus' eyes slowly adjusted to the darkened room he found himself within, and he wasn't alone.

"Time to move it," Bellatrix said to him, before touching her own forearm and disapparating along with the other death eaters who were disappearing from the room every couple of seconds.

Severus rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, and dragged his hand down over the stubble that had formed over his cheeks over the past fortnight. He pulled back his left sleeve and saw the raised dark mark glowing white. He touched the mark and answered the call, instantaneously disapparating from the room.

* * *

_**A/N:** Thank you for reading to the end of _Change is in the Air. _I shall bestow upon you a chocolate frog for every review or PM you have sent me. It really means a lot to me that you have taken the time to a) read my story, and b) share your thoughts - which can help me to improve my writing going forward_. _I started writing this story to learn more about my writing style and strengths. I believe I have discovered something about myself as a writer and thank the amazing J K Rowling for lending me her world to explore many aspects of writing in._

_It has been a six year journey for me to get here. I think my main difficulty was that I fell in love with my characters and wasn't ready to let them go; so I wrote, and re-wrote, and re-re-wrote, the second half of this story countless times. And you know what? I'm still not ready to say goodbye to them. _Change is in the Air_ may be complete, but I have begun playing with a sequel,_ The End of the Beginning_ (15,000 words down, and counting) - I have uploaded a preview for you, so please do check it out on my profile page__ (is it just me, or do links not work in here?)_

The End of the Beginning _will follow our favourite characters through the days of the war until the night that young Harry is orphaned._

_ Watch James and Lily's love grow. _

___ With Lily in his heart, always, how will Severus face the war on the wrong side from his love? _

_ See Peter get put into a position where he feels the only choice he has is to turn to the dark side. _

_ Stay alongside Remus as he comes to terms with what it means to be a monster in the real world._

_ Sirius becomes the world's most doting and playful godfather, but is life really that rosey for the jokester? _

_ While Regulus begins to doubt the path he's on, Bellatrix could never doubt her path, but can she do enough to impress the Lord she serves? _

_ We've also met Cherie, Amelia and Phoenix, what will become of them?_

_I like to see both _Change is in the Air_ and _The End of the Beginning _as prequels to Rowling's books - and with the exception of a little bit of creative licence I believe they are both canon and don't disrupt Rowling's perfect world. _The End of the Beginning _will have a different pace and style to _Change is in the Air,_ but I hope you enjoy it._

_Happy reading, and happy writing._

_~CannS_


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